Newcastle 'can't expect to win every game', Eddie Howe warns

Eddie Howe says his side 'cannot expect to win every game' following a frustrating draw against West Ham at St James' Park

The Magpies slipped below Manchester United to fourth in the Premier League table with their fourth draw in five league games, just days after securing their first Wembley final since 1999.

Callum Wilson opened the scoring inside three minutes before former Newcastle target Lucas Paqueta scored a deserved equaliser for the Hammers.

He said: "If you can't win, you don't lose, and we've done that very well. We've picked up vital points in this run.

"Yes, we haven't won the games in the last few that we would have liked, but it's never going to be plain sailing. We were never going to win every game. It's such a competitive league, the games are so difficult."

Newcastle were without their £35million playmaker Bruno Guimaraes, who is serving a three-match suspension following a red card in Tuesday's semi-final.

Howe said: "I think we missed Bruno today, but we were always going to miss Bruno because he's so unique and slightly different.

"But I do think our midfield players who played in his absence all played well. I don't think it's a criticism of them - I just think he's irreplaceable. You're going to miss him, and I think we missed his creative eye more than anything else."

In the opposition dugout, West Ham coach David Moyes said he was delighted with the performance of his players. He said: "We played incredibly well. After going a goal behind, it would have been easy to buckle and maybe go under with the way the crowd is here and the way they're playing, so I have to say you'd have to give the players huge credit and huge praise for how well they went about it.

"Look, there's a long way to go and we've only just started when you consider where we've been. We're not enjoying the position we're in, but I thought today the team played against a team in really good form and matched them and did well against them."