Newcastle moved level on points with fifth-placed Manchester City in the Premier League as they boosted their Champions League hopes by beating West Ham 1-0 away from home.
Newcastle now head into Sunday’s Carabao Cup final versus Liverpool,live on Sky Sports, with a much-needed confidence boost after recently losing defensive duo Sven Botman and Lewis Hall to injury, as well as Anthony Gordon to suspension for the trip to Wembley.
Bruno Guimaraes’ second-half effort proved to be the deciding factor after he latched on to Harvey Barnes’ cross to poke Newcastle into the lead (64), but it was a goal that West Ham claimed should have been ruled out after Alexander Isak appeared to push Max Kilman from a potentially offside position when the cross came in as the defender tried to head the ball.
“They scored and the goal is frustrating from our perspective,” Potter said after the game. “We think it is clear. Two hands on the back of the defender. It is a push. He [Isak] didn’t celebrate and thought it was a push.”
Barnes himself had gone close to giving the Magpies’ the advantage before the break but was twice denied by Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, one of the stand-out players for them.
