NEWCASTLE EDGE WEST HAM 4-3 IN INJURY-RAVAGED THRILLER

 

Harvey Barnes scored the winner for Newcastle

Substitute Harvey Barnes struck twice as Newcastle United fought back from 3-1 down to beat West Ham United 4-3 in a thrilling Premier League match at St James' Park on Saturday.

Newcastle led through Alexander Isak's early penalty before Michail Antonio and Mohammed Kudus put West Ham 2-1 up at half-time.

The home side were on track for an afternoon to forget after they lost Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, Tino Livramento and Miguel Almirón to injury.

Jarrod Bowen extended the visitors' lead but Isak's second penalty 13 minutes from time gave Newcastle hope, and the livewire Barnes equalised with a clinical finish past keeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Barnes then lashed in a sweet shot from outside the box in the 90th minute to a deafening roar from the St. James' crowd, and although Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon was sent off in stoppage time, the hosts hung on for the win.

"It was one of the maddest games I have played in for sure. We are obviously disappointed to be where we are in the game and then we had a mountain to climb. This team is all abut team spirit and never give up and that showed in abundance today," Barnes told the BBC. 

"These are the games and moments you want to be involved in. Sitting on the sidelines, in the stands, it's the worst feeling so it makes you want to work even harder to get to stages like today and enjoy moments like today."

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe praised his side's character. 

"A lot of emotions in that game, we were swinging all over the place really, ups and downs, injuries, sending off but just brilliant from the lads, brilliant comeback when it was a real challenge at 3-1 down," coach Eddie Howe told TNT.

"When you're 3-1 down at home with the recent run we've been on and everything seemingly going against us, very, very difficult for the players to regroup and go again but they did second half and it was just a wonderful feeling at the end," Howe said.

West Ham manager David Moyes was disappointed after his team's third match without a win.

"We have lost a game when we should have won a game," Moyes told BBC.

"This is a tough place to come and for a long period we looked as though we were going to be the side who finished on top. We didn't see the job through and weren't tough enough."

Newcastle climbed to eighth in table on 43 points after 29 games, a point behind West Ham in seventh.

- Reuters 

EGYPT FOUGHT BACK TWICE TO DRAW 2-2 WITH GHANA AT AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS AFTER A LIVELY SECOND HALF ON ABIDJAN

Getty

Egypt fought back twice to draw 2-2 with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations after a lively second half in Abidjan.

Mohammed Kudus blasted in to put Ghana ahead in first-half stoppage time, a minute after Pharaohs captain Mohamed Salah was forced off through injury.

Omar Marmoush levelled but West Ham's Kudus quickly restored the Black Stars' lead with a deflected effort.

However, Mostafa Mohamed stabbed in to give Egypt their second point and leave Ghana winless after two Group B games.

There were late chances at either end to win it, with Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori saving Emam Ashour's shot before Pharaohs keeper Mohamed El Shenawy failed to clear a corner which Iddrisu Baba could not divert goalwards.

Chris Hughton's Black Stars lost their opening game against Cape Verde and the four-time continental champions are on the brink of a second successive group-stage exit from the Afcon finals.

Cape Verde will secure top spot in Group B if the islanders beat Mozambique on Friday (14:00 GMT), with both Egypt and Ghana waiting to find out what they will require from the final round of games on Monday.

The 24-team format means three points may be enough to qualify as one of four best third-placed sides.

10 PLAYERS WHO COULD STRENGTHEN ARSENAL'S MIDFIELD

Declan Rice is the club’s top target but there are plenty of midfielders around Europe who could do a job for Mikel Arteta

By Ciaran McLoughlin for WhoScored

Declan Rice is Arsenal’s big target in the transfer window this summer. Edu and Mikel Arteta are waiting patiently for West Ham to play the last game of their season, against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final, before trying to arrange a deal for the midfielder.

Arsenal will be without Granit Xhaka next season after his £13m move to Bayer Leverkusen, so they need to bolster their midfield with at least one player. If Rice joins the club, he could take the No 8 role occupied by Xhaka last season or play in his more familiar No 6 role further back. If he were to sit deeper, Arsenal would surely want to sign a more attack-minded midfielder as well. Here are 10 midfielders who should be on the club’s radar this summer.