Rafa Benitez points out the difference between Newcastle and West Ham

Newcastle United’s three-game winning run was ended by a 3-0 defeat on Saturday.

West Ham’s £36million recruit Felipe Anderson – who scored the visitors’ third goal – was outstanding in the game.

Javier Hernandez scored twice, while Marko Arnautovic and Robert Snodgrass also impressed.

Asked if their performances were a reminder of what had to be done in January’s transfer window, manager Benitez said: “It doesn’t remind me, because we knew already.

“We knew the players they had, and how it would be a dangerous game for us, especially on the counter.

“Everything that happened, we knew could happen, and that’s my disappointment.

“We didn’t prevent the problem we knew we could see on the pitch.”

West Ham made a losing start to the season.

Benitez said: “I’m not here to talk about them. They’ve spent a lot of money, and you can see they have brought some quality in.

“For sure, they’ll not be in a relegation battle. The difference between teams is not too much, but, in general, the league is tough.”

Benitez went on: “They’ve spent the money on offensive players, and they made the difference.

“We’re working on (signings), but it’s a question of money. What they spend, what we spend, you can see that on the pitch.

“I cannot complain of the effort of the players or the commitment.”