Newcastle United taunted by West Ham as air turns blue and VAR breaks silence - 5 things

Newcastle United missed the chance to move within just two points of second place following a 2-0 defeat against West Ham.

Tomas Soucek's header put West Ham in front early on before Aaron Wan-Bissaka doubled the visitors' lead with an effort from just inside the box in the 53rd minute.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

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West Ham fans taunt as wasteful Newcastle pay price

'How s--- must you be? We're winning away!'

West Ham fans were not used to this. The Hammers had only previously won once on the road all season yet it was the away end making all the noise with further taunts of 'No noise from the Saudi boys!' and 'Where's your famous atmosphere?' as Newcastle grew frustrated following Tomas Soucek's opener. Even Eddie Howe could not hide his feelings, urging his players to 'COME ON!', when they did not take a throw-in quickly.

West Ham, in contrast, were happy to slow things down. Lukasz Fabianski took his time with goal kicks. Michail Antonio even took his time coming off the field to get a new shirt after his top ripped in the first half before Newcastle had a flurry of chances right before the break.

Lewis Hall fizzed an effort just wide in the 35th minute following a lung-busting run; Fabianski produced a huge save to deny Anthony Gordon just a minute later after a mix-up at the back; and Alexander Isak fired wide from inside the box after chesting down Bruno Guimaraes' superb lofted ball.

Newcastle lacked a clinical edge and the Magpies picked up from where they left off after the break with Gordon failing to hit the target from inside the box. Just a couple minutes later, West Ham doubled their advantage.

In truth, West Ham looked the likelier scorers - even at 2-0. It was rather telling that Fabian Schar resorted to unleashing a long-range effort before the hour mark that sailed over the bar. Remarkably, Newcastle mustered just two shots on target from 18 efforts.

Sloppy defending proves costly

You would not have known that only league leaders Liverpool had conceded fewer goals than Newcastle in the Premier League. Not on this evidence.

West Ham may have landed two sucker punches, but Newcastle, who missed the suspended Dan Burn, only had themselves to blame. Let's start with Tomas Soucek's opener.

Newcastle have been solid defensively from set-plays, but the Magpies were far from watertight when Emerson Palmieri took West Ham's first corner and swung the ball into the box. Soucek, West Ham's main threat from set-pieces, stepped away from Lloyd Kelly far too easily and headed home unmarked. It was the first goal Newcastle had conceded from 70 corners this season.

If that was a sloppy goal to concede, well, Newcastle's defending for West Ham's second was not much better. Bruno Guimaraes was far too casual in the middle of the park and Lucas Paqueta dispossessed his countryman before playing the ball out to Jarrod Bowen on the right. Bowen drew Lewis Hall and Sean Longstaff to him before slipping the unmarked Aaron Wan-Bissaka in. No one got tight enough to the West Ham defender, who had all the time he needed to look up and pick his spot to double the visitors' lead.

Bench can't change it this time as penalty appeal waved away

Newcastle were 3-1 down with a quarter of an hour to go and still managed to win in the corresponding fixture last season, but history was not about to repeat itself. Even if Newcastle had some genuine game-changers on the bench.

Harvey Barnes, who scored twice in that bonkers 4-3 win back in March, replaced Joe Willock at half-time with his side 1-0 down. Sandro Tonali then came on for Sean Longstaff when Newcastle were 2-0 behind.

Eddie Howe made a double change in the 68th minute, throwing on Jacob Murphy and Callum Wilson for Joelinton and Anthony Gordon, and switching to a 4-4-2 and it very nearly paid dividends. Wilson has caused West Ham nightmares over the years and, in his first appearance since May, the striker had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Craig Pawson after Konstantinos Mavropanos had his hands all over him in the box. VAR did not intervene after the officials 'deemed that the contact was not sufficient for a penalty'. There was to be no grandstand finish on a night Newcastle grew increasingly ragged.

A huge opportunity missed even at this early stage

Defeating Arsenal, Chelsea and high-flying Nottingham Forest is one thing; how would Newcastle cope as overwhelming favourites against West Ham in the Magpies' first game after the international break? In some ways, this was every bit a test of Newcastle's credentials as a genuine European contender after Eddie Howe's team previously lost at Fulham; drew against Bournemouth and Everton; and required two late goals to turn the game on its head late on versus Wolves.

Newcastle, following wins against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Chelsea, had looked more like their old selves before the international break as the Magpies looked to become 'that team nobody wants to play' in the words of Jacob Murphy. Dan Burn, recalling the season Newcastle qualified for the Champions League, when the black-and-whites 'had no fear and just wanted to dominate teams', felt like that mentality was returning. A bullish Sean Longstaff said Newcastle had a group of games 'we think we can target for maximum points' - and rightly so.

This felt like a chance to make a fresh statement against a vulnerable West Ham side and move within just two points of champions Manchester City in second place. Instead it ended in frustration.

Isak saluted under the lights but night falls flat

'Alexander the Great', the banner in the Gallowgate End read. Opposite, in the Leazes End, a sea of blue and yellow flags spelt out 'Isak' in Sweden colours. It was a fitting tribute from Wor Flags to a player Eddie Howe has suggested can prove himself as 'one of the world's best.

Isak had the ball in the back of the net after just five minutes, expertly chipping Lukasz Fabianski, but it was ruled out for offside. Few would have predicted that Newcastle would fail to score in the following 85 minutes.

Just like against Brighton, which was Newcastle's first game after last month's international break, the Magpies paid the price for their wastefulness at home and visiting teams will start to take encouragement from this.