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Newcastle boosted their confidence ahead of the Carabao Cup final with a hard-fought victory over West Ham, moving up to sixth in the Premier League. Eddie Howe's side will now turn their attention to Wembley, where they will face league leaders Liverpool in a bid to claim their first major trophy in 70 years.
Determined to regain momentum after a run of inconsistent results, Newcastle entered the match at London Stadium needing a win. Their breakthrough came in the second half when Bruno Guimarães converted Harvey Barnes' lofted pass, securing three vital points. The goal came moments after West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had made a superb save to deny Max Kilman from scoring an own goal.
Despite struggling with injuries and suspensions, Newcastle's victory provided a much-needed boost following just one win in their previous four league games. However, they could have been trailing early when Tino Livramento misjudged a clearance, allowing Tomas Soucek a golden opportunity. Fortunately for the visitors, Soucek failed to capitalize, blasting his shot over the bar.
Newcastle responded well and created two promising chances before halftime, both through Barnes. The forward, making his first league start since December, first forced Areola into a smart save with a low shot from Kieran Trippier's cross. Shortly after, his header was also denied by the West Ham goalkeeper.
West Ham, who started brightly, struggled to create meaningful chances after the opening 10 minutes. Although they appealed for a penalty when Jarrod Bowen went down in the box, the referee waved play on. The hosts also felt there was a foul in the build-up to Newcastle's winner but ultimately failed to produce enough attacking quality to deserve a result.
For Newcastle, the win was a professional and disciplined display rather than a dominant one. Howe named a strong starting XI despite the upcoming final, signaling his intent to keep their league ambitions alive. While defensive lapses early on, including a misjudged clearance from Dan Burn, caused some nervous moments, the visitors settled into the game and controlled possession.
Barnes impressed on his return, playing a key role in the winning goal while also testing Areola on multiple occasions. Although Newcastle did not produce a spectacular performance, they secured a crucial result, leaving them just two points off the top four.
Meanwhile, West Ham remain 16th, far from the relegation battle but also unlikely to challenge for a European spot. After a promising start, their performance faded, highlighting a lack of cutting edge as they failed to register a meaningful shot in the second half.
