West Ham 2-3 Newcastle: Mesmerising Magpies Fight Back to Harpoon Hammers in Festive Thriller

Newcastle United came from behind to beat West Ham United 3-2 in a Premier League thriller at the London Stadium.

The hosts took an early lead, as Marko Arnautović capitalised from a misplaced pass, surged up the field and fired a pin-point finish home from the edge of the area. The Magpies hit back soon after, with Henri Saivet catching Adrián out with a long-range, curling free kick. Newcastle went in front early in the second half, with Mo Diame thundering home from close-range.

André Ayew missed a penalty two minutes later, spurning a glorious chance to pull level. West Ham were punished soon after, as Christian Atsu tapped home after a flowing Magpies counter-attack. The hosts pulled a goal back in the 70th minute as Ayew bundled in a set-piece rebound, but were unable to score the all-important equaliser.

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The Hammers got off to the perfect start, taking the lead in the fifth minute. Arnautović seized on a loose ball and burst passed Ciaran Clarke, before tearing towards the edge of the Newcastle penalty area and aiming a perfectly struck, low effort into bottom corner beyond a well-beaten Rob Elliot. 

The lead didn't last long, as the Magpies hit back in the ninth minute. Saivet - who gave the ball away to gift West Ham their opener - scored a stunning free-kick, curling home a 30-yard effort into the bottom corner. Adrián could well have done better in goal, as he was clearly caught out by the effort.

Newcastle came close to taking the lead in the 16th minute. DeAndre Yedlin worked his way neatly to the edge of the area, and his whipped low ball was thundered onto the crossbar by the onrushing Dwight Gayle from five yards out. The Magpies were playing some flowing football, working their way through the Hammers' defence with ease.

Michail Antonio spurned a glorious opportunity to give the Hammers the lead in the 27th minute. Arnautović curled a vicious corner into the penalty area, but Antonio managed to balloon his header over the bar from 12 yards out. Arthur Masuaku drew a fine stop from Elliot in the 30th minute, with Pablo Zabaleta unable to get to the rebound in time to slot home.

In the 35th minute, Gayle tore through the host's defence to lay off a delightful ball for Matt Ritchie - who struck the bar with a vicious 18-yard effort towards goal that cracked off the upright. A minute later, Antonio missed another chance, as Arnautovic laid a crisply hit cross on a plate for the makeshift forward - who's glanced header went well wide of Elliot's far-post.

The pace of the match was relentless, was neither side content with holding out for a draw. In the 39th minute, Yedlin burst through three West Ham midfielders to feed Ritchie on the wing - the Scottish international played a superb first-time ball to Gayle, whose firmly-struck shot careered over the crossbar.

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Newcastle came out the traps the more aggressive side in the second half, with Gayle and Ritchie leading the charge at the Hammers' defence. It was the hosts who had the first chance of the second half, as Arnautović burst through the middle of the Magpies' defence in the 50th minute, and saw his left-footed, curling effort fly inches wide of Elliot's far-post.

The Toon's bullish start to the second half was soon rewarded. In the 54th minute, Christian Atsu nutmegged Zabaleta on the edge of the box, before feeding a ball through to Mo Diame - who managed to evade his marker Cheikhou Kouyaté and fire a powerfully struck shot into the roof of the net from close-range.

Two minutes later, Antonio was fouled in the penalty area by Clark, with the referee awarding a penalty. André Ayew's stuttering run-up didn't fool Elliot, who clawed the Frenchman's tame effort out with ease. The Hammers were punished in the 62nd minute, as Atsu burst forward on the counter-attack, playing a one-two with Joseulu before tapping home from four yards out.

The game flowed from end-to-end as the Hammers desperately tried to get back into the game. In the 70th minute, Aaron Cresswell lofted a ball into the area, which was met by substitute Andy Carroll's downward header. It drew a fine save from Elliot, but Ayew was on hand to slam home the rebound.

Pedro Obiang had a key chance for West Ham in the 80th minute, as he unleashed a fizzing long-range effort just over the bar following a smart knock-down from Carroll. Newcastle finally battened down the hatches as the game headed into the final ten minutes, fighting desperately to keep out the flood of onrushing Hammers attackers.

Despite putting Newcastle under intense pressure, the visitors held on until the death, to claim their first win in ten matches. Magpies manager Rafael Benítez will undoubtably be delighted with the huge result, which has seen his side move ahead of the Hammers and into 15th place in the table.