In the 26th round of the Premier League, West Ham United sat at the London Bowl to meet Newcastle United, and everyone was watching.
The Hammer Gang wants to fight for four, the Magpies want to be relegated, one for glory, one for survival. This direct dialogue between the four groups and the relegation group even affects the pattern of the Premier League.
However, there are subtle differences in the state and mentality of the two teams.
After spending £100 million in the winter window, Newcastle is unbeaten with 3 wins and 1 draw after the winter window opens and still holds 3 consecutive wins. The thrill of this "money ability" is simple and rough, and it is full of excitement - Newcastle has only scored 11 points in the first 21 rounds of the Premier League (2 games in the next 2 games), and has scored 10 points in the last 4 rounds. The Magpies have seen the dawn of relegation, facing the Hammers on the road, as long as they can score points is a victory.
However, The first signing after the change of ownership of Newcastle, Trippier, who performed well after joining, fractured his toe in the victory over Villa, and basically determined the season reimbursement. However, this is only a small blow to the magpies who are aiming for relegation, and the magpies who are already in momentum should not stop moving forward.
West Ham United, on the other hand, were mixed, losing their fourth place in the last game before the winter break after being beaten by Manchester United. After the thrilling draw with the Blue Foxes in the last round of the Premier League, West Ham United achieved a record of 1 win and 1 draw after the restart of the Premier League's winter break. However, this fourth position was lost because United beat Brighton in the play-offs. And the main defender Zuma's uproar caused by the abuse of the cat also caused a headache for coach Moyes.
Considering that the two teams still carry the essence of "grassroots", the competition between "will flow" and "banknote ability" will most likely go in the direction of chaotic warfare and never look back.
After the opening, Newcastle tried to press the attack to grab a start, and in less than 10 minutes, there were three shots on goal. But after the three axes were completed, the impact of the absence of Trippier and Saint-Maximan was revealed, and West Ham gradually regained the initiative in the game and suppressed Newcastle in the half. Newcastle could only frequently block West Ham's attack through fouls, and West Ham United also seized the opportunity, Dawson received a free kick from Cressvi and jumped into the header to break the deadlock.
Consecutive wins give players confidence, and that's true. Although Newcastle is still passive after conceding the ball, it is obviously more resistant than before. After fending off the Hammers' subsequent onslaught, the Magpies equalised in a chaotic battle before the end of the first half.
Les's header went wrong, and Willock, who replaced Saint-Maximin, made a kick in the crowd and poked the ball into the goal, and although Fabianski struggled to save, the ball bounced into the goal after hitting the goalpost.
Newcazar tightened its fence to secure it, and West Ham united had no way to break through the barrel, especially after the number one striker Antonio was in a slump. Both sides committed fouls, but neither was able to score again, and the score was maintained until the end, a tie between the four and relegations.
Scoring a point away from a four-game team will be a key battle for Newcastle aiming to relegate, especially since the team is missing two cores. For West Ham United, the home team has lost 2 points, and the fight for four will face a very unfavorable situation.
3 wins, 2 draws to get 11 points, since you can spend money to attract reinforcements, Newcastle's last 5 games have scored the same points as the first 19 games, the transformation brought about by this "banknote ability", visible to the naked eye, is really too effective...
Now, who would doubt that Newcastle would be relegated?