David Moyes was frustrated by some of the decisions made by referee Peter Bankes in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle.
Mohammed Kudus climbed off the bench to score his first Premier League goal a minute from full-time as the Hammers snatched a point.
But Moyes was fuming with Bankes for awarding a free-kick for Lucas Paqueta’s challenge on Sandro Tonali which led to Alexander Isak’s first goal.
The Hammers boss also felt Bruno Guimaraes could have been shown a second yellow card, having been booked moments earlier, when he tripped James Ward-Prowse.
"It feels like a family already" ⚒️
Mo is feeling at home in east London 🏡 pic.twitter.com/k3CszHrIq1Advertisement— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 8, 2023
“It might have got away from us a wee bit but I wouldn’t blame them with the referee’s decisions,” said Moyes.
“That came from the free-kick that got the first goal back. I think on another day it wouldn’t have been given.
“I thought that was pretty harsh on us, as was the decision early on which could have been a second yellow card. I’m not going to say something to get me into trouble. I just think it was a really close call.”
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe defended his Brazilian midfielder.
He said: “It’s one of those where he’s made two challenges in quick succession which probably makes them look worse than they are. I think it would’ve been incredibly harsh.”
Tomas Soucek fired West Ham into the lead after eight minutes but Isak’s quickfire second-half double put Newcastle in control.
Isak also hit a post from a tight angle before Ghana winger Kudus lashed in an equaliser from 20 yards.
West Ham almost won it when Jarrod Bowen, on the day he signed a new long-term contract, fizzed the ball across goal and wide.
Mo. Kudus. 👏 pic.twitter.com/FhjTSLv8CW
— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 8, 2023
“I’m pleased with a point,” added Moyes. “We played well in the first half against a top team, one of the best teams in Europe the way they’ve been playing.
“It was tough, they played really well. We had difficult moments but we stuck at it. We could have gone 3-1 down but we could have won it 3-2. The game was very close,”
Howe admitted Isak’s late miss after rounding Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola proved costly.
“He’s played really well today, he’s gone round the keeper and done everything right, but the angle got too tight in the end. But when you’ve drawn that’s maybe a moment you’d like to replay again.
“It was a really tough first half, we weren’t ourselves and probably deserved to be 1-0 down. It was totally different in the second half, we deserved to lead so it’s disappointing not to get over the line.”
