This sort of game has long been a problem for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, when the onus is on them to pick the lock rather than run upfield with the key.
And so, while they fumbled and failed to make the right connections, West Ham twice walked through an open door at the other end. It was the get-out-of-jail win that their manager Julen Lopetegui so badly needed.
He had two games to save his job coming into this and the suspicion was that a bad night on Tyneside could well accelerate his departure. This, however, was a very good night, certainly his best away from the London Stadium.
Lopetegui was booked in the first half – his third of the season – meaning he will be in the stands for Saturday’s visit of Arsenal. And given how energetic and involved the Spaniard was on the touchline, his players will miss his presence at the weekend.
Now there is a statement you never imagined making with fans having called for Lopetegui to go in recent weeks.
But thanks to goals from Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the Hammers are now just three points behind Newcastle, who were expecting to march into the top six with a third straight win here.
The story of their night is becoming an increasingly familiar one. Not able to play on the break and to the strengths of speed merchants such as Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, they had a lot of the ball but did nowhere near enough with it.
Howe’s team are at their best with space in front of them to exploit. The truth is, they are better when they have less of the ball.
They were hardly helped by some atrocious defending for West Ham’s two goals, either. Soucek scored the first on 10 minutes, after the opening exchanges were dominated by the Magpies.
Such a bad goal was it to concede, Soucek, at 6ft 4ins, was able to duck to connect with Emerson’s corner. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. From the moment of the Brazilian’s delivery, when defender Lloyd Kelly lost his man and his mind, it was obvious to all inside St James’ how this one would play out.
Soucek, from whom Kelly bizarrely stepped away, planted his feet in the ground and his free header into the bottom corner. You would not have known this was Newcastle’s first concession from a corner this season – 69 defended successfully – because this was a woeful way to fall behind.
It rattled the hosts and inspired the visitors, who looked the most likely scorers in the 10 minutes that followed. The 3,600 travelling Hammers were even enjoying it, and it’s not often you’ve said that about them away from East London this season. ‘How s*** must you be, we’re winning away?’ they crowed.
They were quieter come half-time, as their team were forced on the back foot and began to chance their luck. But they got lucky.
When Jean Clair-Todibo gifted Newcastle their best chance of the half, scuffing an attempted clearance inside the six-yard area, Gordon could only slam the loose ball straight into the midriff of Lukasz Fabianski.
At least he found the target, unlike eight of his side’s first-half attempts on goal. Isak was the biggest culprit, even though that feels harsh given he was also Newcastle’s most dangerous player.
But on two occasions of note he lashed wide from good positions. With four goals in as many matches, they were the sort of chances he has been taking of late.
Newcastle finished the half in control but without looking particular likely to get on terms, given the paucity of quality in their final ball. There were other openings for Lewis Hall and Joe Willock that failed to trouble Fabianski.
Howe responded at the break by bringing on Harvey Barnes – the manager denies he’s a supersub, but that has been his best use in 15 months at the club – and Newcastle were still playing the majority of the football in the opposition half when West Ham went up the other end and made it two.
They were aided by the home side’s casual resistance, as if they did not expect the visitors to show the ambition to go for a second.
But that they did, and their ambition was evidenced by the sight of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka breaking into the area to score his first goal for the club.
In fact, it was his first goal in three years for any club. Never mind keeping his position to safeguard against the arrival of Barnes, he spotted a gap and went for it.
Jarrod Bowen found his run and Wan-Bissaka drew low across Nick Pope and into the bottom corner.
After that, it was all relatively easy, and it’s not often been that for West Ham and Lopetegui this season.
