Kieran Trippier missed the first Newcastle game of his injury lay off when Eddie Howe took his side to face West Ham this lunchtime.
Trippier has become something of a talisman for Newcastle already and he probably would have been the captain this afternoon if he’d been fit.
Jonjo Shelvey wore the armband at the base of midfield as Newcastle performed well all over the pitch in a 1-1 draw with David Moyes’ Champions League chasing side.
They switched off at a set piece to allow Craig Dawson make it 1-0, which is disappointing given West Ham’s threat from those situations is no secret.
But they did not get disheartened by that setback, showing character and backbone to maintain their performance level.
That was rewarded by Joe Willock’s improvised poked finish on the stroke of half time which made it 1-1 and that was how it stayed.
That means it is now six games unbeaten in the Premier League for Howe’s men, and they did it without Allan Saint-Maximin as well.
He also took to Twitter to congratulate his teammates on the battling draw.
It remains to be seen how long the Frenchman is out for but Trippier said yesterday that his operation went well and he should return before the end of the season.
But Newcastle showed they can maintain their momentum without him, even though it was his replacement Emil Krafth who gave away the free kick West Ham scored from.
It is all about keeping it going now, and keeping the pressure on the rest of the sides in the relegation dogfight.
- NEW! Download the TalkingPoints App, create your own newsfeed and join the conversation
- Ewen Jaouen reveals immediate thoughts on Newcastle United’s training ground after signing
- Kieran Maguire’s verdict on PIF selling Newcastle United after LIV Golf U-turn
- Fabrizio Romano confirms Ewen Jaouen transfer fee as Newcastle United close in
- Progress at last as Newcastle United completely revamp their transfer stance
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
