Eddie Howe's £25m-valued masterstroke, Arsenal taunted and old Newcastle target's foolish fight

It said it all that Newcastle United players and staff left the London Stadium a little disappointed after only going home with a point following the 1-1 draw against West Ham.

Newcastle had more possession, more shots and more corners than a side riding high in fifth place and it has been a long time since that has happened, particularly on the road.

It was not so long ago that Newcastle would have lost this game yet, despite being without the injured Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin and Kieran Trippier, Eddie Howe's side put in another spirited display.

Newcastle responded impressively to going behind after the half-hour mark when, previously, the black-and-whites might have crumbled. Indeed, just 14 minutes separated Craig Dawson's opener and Joe Willock's well-taken equaliser.

Few individuals have mirrored Newcastle's recent resurgence quite like Willock, who is starting to resemble the player who lit up St James' Park last season with every passing week.

At times, West Ham did not quite know how to handle Willock as the £25m signing slalomed around the pitch in a box to box role that got the best out of him.

Newcastle supporters may have repeatedly serenaded substitute Bruno Guimaraes - 'he could have signed for Arsenal but he thought f-- that!' - but it is Willock who has responded most impressively to the big-money signing's arrival in recent weeks.

Howe has certainly played his part in Willock never losing belief after sticking by him and the midfielder, literally, spoke for his team-mates after the game when he said the head coach was a 'manager we all trust and we are all buying into what he wants to do'.

Togetherness has been built; the players have responded to Howe's intense demands and lengthy training