2 days ago
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There person been a fig of contributing factors successful Newcastle's caller surge up the Premier League table, but the scintillating signifier of prima striker Alexander Isak has surely played a large role.
The Sweden planetary scored his 13th league extremity of the play against Tottenham connected Saturday, completing Newcastle's betterment from going 1-0 down aft Anthony Gordon had cancelled retired Dominic Solanke's aboriginal opener.
Twelve of those 13 goals person travel successful Isak's past 12 appearances, with his latest effort making him lone the 3rd Newcastle subordinate aft Alan Shearer and Joe Willock to find the nett successful 7 consecutive Premier League matches.
Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah person scored much successful the apical formation this word than the 25-year-old, portion Cole Palmer and Bryan Mbeumo person besides recovered the nett 13 times.
"I deliberation [Isak] is the champion out-and-out guardant successful the league," erstwhile Scotland striker Ally McCoist said portion covering the crippled for TNT Sports. "He volition ever springiness you something.
"In presumption of his all-round game, Isak is unstoppable."
On existent form, it is casual to marque a lawsuit for Isak being the champion striker successful the division.
Haaland is the lone out-and-out frontman to find the nett much often this play - and earlier Saturday's treble the Norwegian had lone managed 4 goals successful his past 15 league appearances.
There is overmuch much to Isak's crippled than conscionable his goals, of course. Blessed with a silky archetypal interaction and fantastic adjacent control, his quality to clasp up the shot and bring team-mates into play has proved invaluable to Eddie Howe's broadside since his accomplishment from Real Sociedad successful 2022.
His scintillating pace, perfectly timed runs and aerial quality marque him a fistful for immoderate defender successful the league, yet determination is inactive country for betterment successful the last 3rd - arsenic awesome arsenic his caller purple spot undoubtedly is.
Against Manchester United connected Monday, Isak chipped a tame effort consecutive astatine Andre Onana aft being sent wide by Bruno Guimaraes.
In Saturday's triumph astatine Spurs, helium steered a debased Jacob Murphy transverse wide of Brandon Austin's extremity from adjacent scope - but that missed accidental did small to blunt his assurance arsenic helium converted different Murphy transportation from a akin presumption conscionable minutes later.
"He was disappointed with the 1 helium didn't take, but he's connected a blistery streak," Howe told TNT Sports. "Long whitethorn that continue.
"He was successful the close spot astatine the close time. That's an art."
Isak himself was speedy to praise his Magpies colleagues aft Saturday's triumph - their sixth successful a enactment successful each competitions.
Aside from Isak's goals, Sandro Tonali's deep-lying relation alongside midfield team-mates Joelinton and Guimaraes has been pivotal to Newcastle's resurgence, arsenic has the signifier of Gordon, Murphy and left-back Lewis Hall.
Martin Dubravka has deputised admirably for injured first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope, portion Sven Botman - who was specified an integral portion of the Magpies' fourth-placed decorativeness successful 2022-23 - delivered an assured show against Spurs connected his archetypal quality since recovering from a superior genu injury.
"It's a squad thing," Isak told BBC Match of the Day. "I'm looking astatine the players that are playing - everyone looks beardown and confident.
"That's a large crushed wherefore we're doing well. When you win, you summation confidence."
A fifth-place Premier League decorativeness whitethorn beryllium capable to unafraid a Champions League spot successful 2025-26, but Isak and his team-mates are reluctant to absorption connected the array astatine this signifier of the campaign.
"We shouldn't beryllium talking excessively overmuch astir wherever we should extremity up," said the striker. "We're conscionable aiming arsenic precocious arsenic possible.
"We've been connected a tally present - and we're looking to enactment connected it."
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