West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui was pleased by his side’s display after their 2-0 win over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Goals from Tomáš Souček and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the latter’s first in a West Ham shirt, was enough for the Hammers to earn all three points, something they have not done away from home since August.
This result moves West Ham to 14th place in the Premier League table, easing the pressure on Lopetegui for now.
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On the win
Lopetegui spoke on the win and what it means for him and the team. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Yes, we are happy above all because we achieved three points, the most important thing because I think we played well. We played with an identity and we overcame a team which is very good. In this stadium it is always a tough match.
“We are happy, for the players, for the team but above all for the fans. There are a lot of fans, more than 3,000 who came here.
“We have to look forward to the next challenge. Today is done. We are happy but we have a lot of work to do.
“We have to keep the feeling of the team. We want to be a better team, with the ball and without the ball. I don’t think a lot about the score, I think a lot about the play.”
“We have a lot of matches that we did not do this. I am not happy, but I believe this team is going to be able to do good things. The style is different but we always try the players’ belief in what they are able to do, put in the focus to improve every day and be able to compete in one Premier League when each match is incredibly difficult. This is the Premier League."
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On the next few weeks at the club
The pressure on Lopetegui has increased week on week and the Spaniard will be hoping that this win can be the turning point. He said: “We are looking forward to the next challenge and not to think about the long future.
“I think that West Ham should be a team, a good team. This is the more important thing. If we are a team, we are going to be able to do good things but our big challenge is to be able to be a good team, a strong team”
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On the distance covered
This West Ham team recorded the second highest total for any game this season when it comes to distance covered, with their 119.1km only topped by Tottenham’s 119.8km against Manchester United.
He said: “It’s like this. You have to run. If you want to compete in the Premier League you have to run a lot, you have to play a lot, you are to do a lot of good things always against all the good teams.
“I always demand them to run and to play. It’s the natural things, to play, to press, to defend to attack. For that, you need to have a high rhythm above all against these teams that they demand a lot. I did not know this statistic but it is good.”
