Newcastle rue missed opportunity in West Ham draw

NEWCASTLE: Callum Wilson ended a 10-game goal drought but failed to inspire Newcastle United to a Premier League win over West Ham.

The England frontman scored his first goal since October at the Gallowgate End to put United in front, only for former Magpies’ transfer target Lucas Paqueta to net a first-half leveller.

With that point, United lost ground on Champions League-chasing rivals Manchester United, who earlier in the day beat Crystal Palace. After Arsenal’s loss to Everton, United are now the team who has lost the least amount of games in the division — one.

The point does, however, mean they are also the side to have drawn the most games in England’s top flight — 10 from 21 games. With Bruno Guimaraes sitting out the match after a red card in midweek, Eddie Howe was forced to reshuffle his pack, bringing in Allan Saint-Maximin for his first Premier League start since August.

The Magpies got off to an absolute flyer early doors and had the ball in the net twice within the opening three minutes. Only one of them counted. A slick move down the right saw Kieran Trippier set Miguel Almiron free at the byline and he pulled back for Joe Willock who smashed home what looked like the opener, only for the VAR gods to look down and rule it out.

Trippier’s pass to Almiron just crept out for a goal-kick. When the game eventually restarted, United picked up where they left off and this time made it count as Wilson was found quite brilliantly by man of the moment, Sean Longstaff, and crashed home his first goal following a 10-game goal drought. Bar a Fabian Schar chance, it was then all the visitors, as a leggy-looking United, without talisman Bruno, struggled first to keep possession, then actually to do anything with