Nuno Espirito Santo had yet to win a game as manager of the Hammers, who had also not managed a victory at home in 2025/26.
Eddie Howe, meanwhile, had overseen a Magpies side who were once again struggling in a season during which they've had to deal with Champions League commitments on top of domestic matches.
Fast start from Newcastle
Young Freddie Potts was called into the West Ham starting XI for the first time, exactly 24 years and 240 days since his father Steve made his final league start for the Hammers, and just under 13 years since his older brother Dan made his only top-flight start for the club in January 2013 vs Sunderland.
Once Jarrod Bowen had hit the post for West Ham on four minutes after a sweeping move, the signs appeared positive for the hosts, and yet just 26 seconds later, they conceded when Jacob Murphy lashed home for the visitors.
Newcastle's fastest goal in the league this season set them up nicely for what should've been another away win, given that the Irons had failed to win any of their last 29 matches when conceding first in the Premier League, the last such victory coming against Luton Town on 11th May 2024.
Pressure from West Ham
Callum Wilson, starting only his second match for West Ham, got a shot on target in the 10th minute as the hosts settled, and with Potts, Lucas Paqueta and Matheus Fernandes all posting pass completion stats of at least 84.6%, they started to control the midfield and, subsequently, the game.
Murphy's two further shots and one from Anthony Gordon were the sum total of all that Newcastle could manage in what was fast becoming a truly underwhelming showing from the men from the North East.
Pressure continued to build as Paqueta's long-range effort needed a full-length save from Nick Pope to tip it around the post, before Crysencio Summerville and Max Kilman's efforts lifted the home crowd.
Defensively, Newcastle were struggling with both Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw unable to get near the likes of Bowen and Paqueta, allowing the latter to rifle home an equaliser on 35 minutes after some good work from Fernandes.
It was the Brazilian's fifth goal from outside the box, and only Mark Noble (8), Frank Lampard (7), Manuel Lanzini (6), and Paolo Di Canio (6) have scored more in the Premier League for the East Londoners.
Botman hands Hammers the lead
No one can say it wasn't deserved either, and worse was to follow for Howe's men before the break as Botman diverted a cross into his own net during first-half stoppage time.
Coincidentally, that goal meant a first time Newcastle had trailed in a Premier League game at half-time despite scoring first since March 2024 - also against West Ham (a game they eventually went on to win 4-3).
That would've been little comfort to Howe, whose players only made eight tackles across the entire game and only three in the first half.
Awful effort from Newcastle's players
Indeed, Newcastle's defensive effort consisted of only four players (Botman, Thiaw, Bruno Guimaraes and Jacob Ramsey) making two tackles each in the 90+ minutes.
With the entire side as a whole winning less than half of their one-on-one duels too, it was fairly clear to anyone watching that there was only one team prepared to fight to earn the three points.
Bowen was, as expected, chief tormentor, and his eight touches in the Newcastle box certainly kept the back four occupied.
Superior movement also allowed others to be brought into play seemingly at will, as West Ham's players swarmed all over their opponents.
William Osula, who had come on for the ineffective Nick Woltemade, had a half-chance for the visitors shortly after the break, as Newcastle attempted to claw themselves back into the game by having 76% possession collectively up to the hour mark.
Hammers stand firm in defence
Murphy also tried his luck but was off target, before West Ham came on strong again with both Bowen and Kilman going close.
Pope's five saves to that point indicated that the Hammers were still in the ascendancy, but all the while the score remained at 2-1, Newcastle were in with a chance of rescuing at least a point.
El Hadji Malick Diouf stood firm at the back for the hosts in what was arguably his best performance to date for West Ham, the left-back winning nine of his 11 one-on-ones, the most of any player.
An 88th-minute shot by Harvey Barnes sailed wide, meaning Newcastle hadn't managed to get a shot on target since Gordon's effort in the 39th minute.
Soucek seals it
Sandro Tonali's 90 passes - far more than any other player on the pitch - at least evidenced that the Italian was doing his utmost to turn the tide, even if the same can't be said for colleagues who attempted 24 crosses in the match and completed just one.
Osula's on-target effort in the final minute briefly raised the hopes of the Toon Army, and as they attempted to pile the pressure on during injury time, a West Ham breakaway ended with their third goal as Tomas Soucek bundled the ball over the line.
Howe only has the comfort of more possession, more passes and a better pass accuracy than the Hammers if he wants to try and accentuate the positives on an afternoon where nothing went right for him or his team.
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