Wan-Bissaka wraps up West Ham's win at Newcastle to ease pressure from Lopetegui | first division

On a very cold night on Tyneside, West Ham finally remembered how to defend themselves. Even better for their beleaguered coach, Julen Lopetegui, a team inspired by the outstanding performances of Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paquetá exhibited the kind of ruthless precision that is strangely absent from Newcastle's game.

Cleverly taken goals by Soucek and the equally impressive Aaron Wan-Bissaka bolstered Lopetegui's fragile job security, lifting West Ham to 14th place, six points clear of the bottom three and three behind Eddie Howe's side as hopes of Newcastle's qualification for the Champions League suffered a dent. It didn't help the local cause that Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon all had unusually poor games.

“I'm very happy, I think we played well and we deserved to win,” Lopetegui said. “We beat a very good opponent and showed an identity.” You have to hope Bowen's postgame verdict that “this is a big turning point in our season” proves accurate.

Ahead of a potentially title-defining match, the West Ham manager took the time to revisit the bronze statue of Sir Bobby Robson outside St James' Park. During his days as a goalkeeper, Lopetegui played with Robson at Barcelona and had vowed to channel his “inner Bobby” here.

Three decades later and with his team three points clear of the relegation zone at the start, Lopetegui managed to put together a committed but elegant performance that Robson would have approved of from his players. It was also timely. Although the east London club rarely changes managers mid-season, there were strong suggestions that the former Spanish manager's future depends on the results of your team Here and at home against Arsenal on Saturday.

Undeterred by such an uncertain backdrop, Soucek reveled in putting Howe's defense under unflattering scrutiny when, completely unmarked, he headed Lopetegui's team into the lead in the 10th minute following a fine Emerson corner. With Lloyd Kelly suffering from an alarming lack of concentration, Newcastle suddenly felt the absence of the suspended Dan Burn.

Until then they had looked brilliant with a goal disallowed to Isak for offside but, despite squandering a series of half-chances, Howe's players were left frustrated by Lopetegui's five-man midfield.

With tensions rising, the West Ham manager received a yellow card for dissent after Crysencio Summerville was controversially judged to have fouled Sean Longstaff. Since it was the Spaniard's third booking of the season, he will have to watch the Arsenal game from the stands while serving a one-match ban on the sidelines.

Lopetegui could be encouraged that Howe's decision to play Joelinton on the right flank rather than the left did not work out and was soon scrapped, with the Brazilian moving first to the left flank and then back to midfield. The initial idea was, presumably, to offer Gordon the freedom of his preferred left side, but the England winger was disappointed when he shot straight at Lukasz Fabianski, allowing the excellent goalkeeper to cleverly save with one leg after Jean-Clair Todibo's mistake. .

However, although the introduction of Harvey Barnes in the second half increased Newcastle's threat, Max Kilman shone at the heart of the West Ham defence, helping to repel waves of pressure as Soucek strained every sinew to hold his midfield together. Their efforts allowed Paquetá to shine in the number 8 role and Bowen to show quick feet and an even quicker brain on the right when the visitors sensed a counter-attacking opportunity.

Fittingly, Bowen played a key role as West Ham doubled their lead after Paquetá took possession away from Guimarães and passed to the England striker. All that was missing was for a winger much admired by Howe to set up Wan-Bissaka on the ground, leaving the right-hander to step back for a steady touch before evading Nick Pope's reach with a right-footed shot that brushed a post. on the way to the back of the net.

It was only the third goal of Wan-Bissaka's career and led to Callum Wilson coming off the home bench for his first appearance in another injury-plagued season. Wilson had scored 12 goals in 14 previous appearances against West Ham and quickly had a penalty appeal rejected, but this was Lopetegui's night and there was to be no dramatic rescue act.

“I'm really disappointed,” Howe said. “We will regret this as a missed opportunity. “We are kicking ourselves.”