6 talking points as Kudus saves West Ham against Newcastle after Isak brace
Newcastle came from behind to lead West Ham at the London Stadium thanks to a quickfire double from Alexander Isak, but Mohammed Kudus' first Premier League goal rescued a point for the hosts.
Tomas Soucek put David Moyes ' side in front with less than 10 minutes on the clock, but Isak brought Newcastle level before the hour mark. The Swedish international added his second of the afternoon shortly after to turn the game on its head.
West Ham kept their opponents quiet in the first half but struggled to gain a foothold after going behind. It took a substitution to rescue the hosts, with Kudus beating Nick Pope from 20 yards to ensure the spoils were shared.
West Ham and Newcastle were both coming off impressive victories in Europe during the week. The Londoners won 2-1 away to Freiburg while Newcastle claimed a landmark three points with their demolition of Paris Saint-Germain at St James' Park.
Moyes' side had managed two wins and one defeat in their three home league games so far, and got their noses in front inside 10 minutes when Emerson beat the onrushing Nick Pope to a through ball and rolled the ball across for Tomas Soucek to tap into the unguarded net.
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Things can change in a flash, though, and two goals just five minutes apart meant Newcastle were the ones on top until Kudus' late intervention. Here are Mirror Football 's talking points from the London Stadium.
1. Isak delivers as Wilson returns
Alexander Isak's goals came five minutes apart (PA)West Ham must be sick of the sight of Callum Wilson. The Newcastle striker had 12 goals in 13 games against the Hammers before this game, including three in two games last season, but it turns out he wasn't the only striker the hosts needed to be wary of.
Newcastle's number nine started on the bench at the London Stadium, having missed his team's last two league games with a hamstring injury. Alexander Isak led the line, though he cut a frustrated figure in the first half and was forced to drift left in search of the ball.
That changed in the second half, though. There was an element of fortune about Isak's first, when a wayward Edson Alvarez header found him free in the box, but his second was a pure poacher's finish as the hosts switched off and allowed Kieran Trippier to cushion a cross into Isak's path.
Wilson made his return late on. The hosts were grateful he didn't have time to haunt them again, but Isak did plenty on his own.
2. Soucek putting misery behind him
Tomas Soucek arrived at West Ham as a man primed to provide a goal threat from midfield, and the 10 goals he scored in his first full season with the Hammers spoke to that threat. Last season, though, he only scored three times and didn't score at all from November to March.
The changes in the Hammers' midfield seem to have suited the Czech this term, though. Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse have both arrived to counteract the loss of Declan Rice, and this has given Soucek freedom to get further forward.
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Tomas Soucek has already surpassed his goal tally from last season (PA)His early goal against Newcastle was a fourth in all competitions this term, already more than all of last season. West Ham will hope this is just the start.
3. Bruno's lucky escape
Last weekend, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota was shown two yellow cards in two minutes to earn his marching orders at Tottenham. Just 20 minutes into today's game, Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes might have suffered the same fate were it not for a lenient referee.
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Bruno Guimaraes was treading a fine line in the first half (Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)Moments after bringing down Emerson as the left-back broke forward, he was late again, this time on James Ward-Prowse. There appeared to be little difference between the challenges, both of which stopped West Ham breaks, but referee Peter Bankes didn't appear to see it that way.
4. A tale of two captains
In a pre-match interview, West Ham captain Zouma spoke about succeeding Mark Noble and Declan Rice in the role, He revealed he still calls Noble 'skipper', while describing Rice as someone who "will always be remembered" at the London Stadium.
Jamaal Lascelles impressed for Newcastle (PA)Zouma scored in this fixture last season but it was still a miserable evening for the Frenchman on that occasion. West Ham's 5-1 defeat in April left them at risk of the drop, though they eventually pulled clear of danger.
There were more defensive frustrations this time around for Zouma, as a solid first-half display went up in smoke with Isak's double. At the other end, Jamaal Lascelles captained Newcastle and impressed against the dangerous Michail Antonio, keeping the Jamaica star at arm's length before the West Ham star made way during the second half, but he couldn't stop substitute Kudus having the last word.
5. Mixed fortunes for England hopefuls
West Ham fans were pleased to see Jarrod Bowen rewarded for his club form with an England recall, but some felt James Ward-Prowse also deserved the nod. The former Southampton midfielder admitted it was a "huge disappointment" to miss out, and had a chance to send Gareth Southgate a message against a Newcastle side with Nick Pope - another omission from Southgate's squad - in goal.
It wasn't the best of starts for Pope. The keeper was slow to react to Lucas Paqueta's dinked ball through, allowing Emerson to steal in and set up Soucek's opener.
Ward-Prowse continued to threaten from set pieces, as he has done all season. A first-half corner forced Pope into action, while a delivery early in the second period almost resulted in Edson Alvarez doubling the home side's advantage, but Trippier - with his assist - ended up as the happier England international.
6. Kudus up and running
Mohammed Kudus has opened his Premier League account (PA)Mohammed Kudus has needed to be patient since joining West Ham from Ajax. The Ghana star has already netted in Europe, but his league opportunities have all come from the bench.
His late goal will give Moyes food for thought, though. It was the kind of effort the Hammers had hoped to see, as he drilled home low with just over a minute on the clock.
The only shame is the international break comes next, stopping him building momentum. A first league start can't be far away, though.
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