Newcastle boss Eddie Howe gives strong verdict on Nick Pope after entertaining West Ham draw
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has refused to criticise Nick Pope after his side's draw with West Ham
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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has made it clear he doesn't blame Nick Pope following his side's 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday.
The Toon went into the showdown at the London Stadium on a high after a 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
But Newcastle were unable to build on that win and dropped points at the London Stadium.
Tomas Soucek put the home side ahead in the eighth minute, with Pope failing to keep the ball out.
Newcastle star Alexander Isak scored twice against West Ham on Sunday
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A brace from Alexander Isak then turned the fixture around, with the Sweden international continuing his electric form.
But Mohammed Kudus scored at the death to earn the Hammers a share of the spoils.
For Newcastle, it was very much a case of two points dropped.
And Pope is under scrutiny after being slow to react to Soucek's goal, with the England international failing to get out quick enough to prevent Emerson from playing the ball across.
Howe has now been asked about the shot-stopper after the game in east London.
And he's made it clear he won't blame Pope and has instead hailed the Newcastle star for a key save towards the end of the match.
"I prefer to focus on the save at the end," said the 45-year-old.
"It has got us a point really.
"Nick has been magnificent in recent weeks and he has certainly played his part in our run of clean sheets.
"I think there's disappointment late in the game but maybe, when the dust settles, we'll look at it differently.
"It depends on the next results for us."
Howe also admitted he felt Newcastle had suffered a 'hangover' given the high of their victory over PSG on Wednesday night.
"A frustrating game for us," he said.
"Probably a hangover from midweek.
"A really good response in the second half but we're frustrated not to get over the line.
"I think we did really well in the second half, showed great character to come back.
"We took control of the game, caused problems, created chances."
And the Newcastle boss also lamented Isak's failure to score a hat-trick in order to secure victory for his side.
"[Alexander] Isak's hat-trick opportunity was probably the defining moment," he added.
"He's an outstanding player, the first in particular is an outstanding finish.
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West Ham star Mohammed Kudus celebrates scoring a dramatic late equaliser against Newcastle
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"He is unlucky not to score the third but they are the small margins."
The result means Newcastle are eighth in the table, having won four Premier League matches so far this season.
They're next in action against Crystal Palace on October 21 after the international break (3pm).
As for West Ham, they're one place higher than Howe's side in the table.
The Hammers will lock horns with Aston Villa on October 22 (4.30pm).
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