West Ham's survival hopes are hanging by a thread following a deeply damaging defeat against Newcastle United.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side had the chance to move out of the Premier League drop zone and pile the pressure back on Tottenham Hotspur with a win at St James' Park before the Hammers' relegation rivals meet Chelsea on Tuesday night.

However, given their vastly inferior goal difference, West Ham now need Chelsea to win at Stamford Bridge to realistically have any chance of staying up on the final day following this 3-1 loss on Tyneside.

The stunned visitors never truly recovered after conceding two quick-fire goals in the first half on Sunday.

West Ham were the architects of their own downfall for Newcastle's first after an over-hit pass from goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to Jean-Clair Todibo was pounced upon by the alert Harvey Barnes out on the right.

Barnes advanced into the box and clipped the ball across to Nick Woltemade, who hooked it past Hermansen to score his first league goal since December.

Newcastle doubled their lead just four minutes later when Jacob Ramsey fizzed the ball forward to William Osula and the in-form striker coolly finished through Hermansen's legs.

Nuno was left with his head bowed on the bench as any semblance of a game plan went up in smoke.

The West Ham manager turned to substitute Valentin Castellanos midway through the first half and the forward almost made an instant impact when he saw a volley swatted away by Nick Pope, before the Newcastle goalkeeper kept out El Hadji Malick Diouf's follow up with his legs.

Osula appeared to have ended any hope of an unlikely comeback, though, when he fired home from substitute Joe Willock's cutback in the second half following a neat one-two with his team-mate.

However, there was still time for Castellanos to pull one back with a superb first-time effort from distance to set up a slightly nervy finish for Newcastle.

But the result leaves relegation-threatened West Ham in 18th place as Newcastle move up to 11th to keep their slender hopes of qualifying for Europe alive.

This felt like a celebration of the past as well as a glimpse of the future for Newcastle.

It was an afternoon when St James' Park bid farewell to stalwarts Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth, who are leaving the club following the expiry of their contracts this summer.

Trippier was saluted by the Wor Flags supporters' group before his final home game with a banner which fittingly read: "Forever a Newcastle United legend. Thank you for the memories."

Such was Trippier's impact, after swapping life in the Champions League with Atletico Madrid for an immediate relegation battle with Newcastle, in 2022, it is hard to think of a more transformational signing in the club's recent history.

However, this win will have also whetted the appetite of supporters for what's to come after a bruising domestic season.

Newcastle have struggled for goals following the painful departure of Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer.

But Howe may have found a belated solution up front in Osula, who has scored six goals in his last eight league games.

The red-hot Dane is in the form of his life and will not want this marathon season to end.

Belief. It was a word Nuno repeated before this game, but his players looked drained of it.

Where was the fight from the visitors? It was as if they did not realise the enormity of the dire situation they were in.

As much as St James' Park is historically a difficult place to go, this result was by no means a foregone conclusion.

Newcastle did not have anywhere near as much riding on this game and Howe's side have had vulnerabilities of their own.

Yet West Ham found themselves 2-0 down before they finally asked a question of Pope.

No wonder the away end booed their side off at half-time.

No wonder a number of supporters walked out after Newcastle went 3-0 up.

No wonder those who stayed behind at full-time hissed: "You're not fit to wear the shirt".

West Ham are still technically a Premier League side, but a third straight league loss has left Nuno's side staring down the barrel.

Not only will West Ham need both Chelsea and Everton to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in the final week of the season. They will also have to take care of their own business by beating buoyant Leeds United on the final day.

That feels an almighty prospect right now.

Newcastle travel to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham on the final day of the season on Sunday 24 May (16:00) while West Ham host Leeds United at London Stadium at the same time that day.