“Miraculous” – Sky Sports Pundit Left in Awe of West Ham Star Despite Newcastle Defeat
Areola’s “Miraculous” Save Stuns Alan Smith Despite West Ham’s 1-0 Defeat to Newcastle
Graham Potter’s team looked sluggish compared to their recent performances against Arsenal and Leicester, ending their streak of victories and clean sheets in those matches.
A dull first half, marked only by an inconsequential penalty appeal against Tomas Soucek, gave way to a second period dominated by Newcastle.
The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when Bruno Guimaraes volleyed home from close range, beating Alphonse Areola at the far post in a crowded West Ham box.
This came just minutes after the French goalkeeper had produced a remarkable save.
Areola’s Stunning Save Keeps West Ham in the Game
With the match still goalless despite Newcastle’s increasing pressure, Areola delivered what was arguably the standout moment of the contest.
A cross from Jacob Murphy took a dangerous deflection off Aaron Cresswell, forcing Areola to react instantly.
Diving backward at speed, he somehow managed to claw the ball away from the goalmouth.
Speaking on Sky Sports Premier League (10 March, 9:18 pm), commentator Smith described it as “miraculous,” adding:
“That’s as good a save as you’re going to see. He clawed it off the goal line when it looked certain to go in.
He’ll enjoy watching that tonight—messy defending, but not from Areola. That is superb.”
Heroics Not Enough as West Ham Fall to Newcastle
Despite Areola’s breathtaking stop, West Ham’s defence crumbled moments later.
Just a minute after his save, they failed to clear Harvey Barnes’ cross from the left, allowing Guimaraes to pounce and slot home the winner.
Both Areola and Lukasz Fabianski have repeatedly rescued West Ham from defensive lapses this season, but even the best goalkeeping can’t compensate for a backline that loses concentration.
Potter deployed a five-man defence for the second successive match, hoping to contain Newcastle’s dynamic attack.
While that approach worked for the first hour, it ultimately failed, as the Magpies’ persistence broke through.
