Newcastle 3 – 0 Wolves

Alexander Isak scored twice as Newcastle beat Wolves 3-0 at St James’ Park to maneuver into the highest 4.

The striker has now netted in eight consecutive Premier League video games, breaking a membership document and turning into solely the fourth man to try this within the competitors. Newcastle have received the final six of these video games to propel them into the Champions League spots.

Isak’s first objective was deflected into the underside nook of the web by way of Rayan Ait-Nouri and his second was easy, given area contained in the Wolves field. The Swede even offered the help for Newcastle’s third, establishing Anthony Gordon to attain.

It mirrored Newcastle’s dominance regardless of Jorgen Strand Larsen placing the submit and Santi Bueno having a objective disallowed. Vitor Pereira’s aspect drop again into the relegation zone following this defeat, their Premier League standing wanting precarious once more.

In distinction, Newcastle, with 9 victories in a row in all competitions, appear to be a staff on the up beneath Eddie Howe. The entire staff seem in prime kind – and it helps that Howe can rely on the providers of arguably the very best striker in Europe proper now.

Isak’s impression in stats

• Isak turned the fourth participant in Premier League historical past to attain in eight consecutive appearances, after Ruud van Nistelrooy (twice for Man Utd), Jamie Vardy (twice for Leicester) and Daniel Sturridge (for Liverpool).
• He additionally turned the seventh Newcastle participant to attain 25+ Premier League objectives at St James’ Park – of these gamers, solely Andrew Cole (23 video games) and Alan Shearer (26) acquired to 25 objectives in fewer video games than the Swedish ahead (34).

Participant of the match: Alexander Isak

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, talking to TNT Sports activities:

“The primary objective was key at the moment.

“I feel he [Isak] will in all probability say he meant it, the best way issues are going for him in the meanwhile. However he has picked the ball up large left and he has acquired that freedom as a result of he’s a extremely good dribbler. We encourage him to get on the ball as a lot as he can.

“When you’ve got the technical expertise that he has, I feel it’s big for us that we don’t ask him to be too central and static. We’d like him on the ball, we would like him on the ball, as a lot as doable within the attacking third so he does have freedom to get the ball.

“He makes [the second goal] look a straightforward end however it’s completely not since you may get a type of in a sport and we want him to take it. However he has acquired that calmness and that coolness that each one the highest gamers have.”

Something is feasible, provides Howe

Requested within the press convention if this sends a message to Newcastle’s rivals for the highest 4, Howe mentioned:

“I do not know if it sends a message, we’re simply doing what we have to do. That will not change within the respect that we have to attempt to win video games and put factors constantly collectively.

“We’re nonetheless in a busy interval, we have got an enormous sport developing so we have to get better properly and give attention to that.

“Something is feasible however we have now to get outcomes and do it constantly. We struggled within the early season with being out and in of kind. This has been a extremely good run and propelled us to a extremely good place. We have to carry that on.

“There must be extra to return and that is the problem we have now to pose to the gamers as a result of at the moment wasn’t good, the final 20 minutes weren’t nice. We have to continue to grow, evolving and enhancing as a result of the challenges solely get more durable.”

Evaluation: Tonali key for Newcastle

The efficiency of Isak understandably takes the headlines however the efforts of Sandro Tonali in midfield have been equally spectacular in their very own approach. The Italian returned to the beginning line-up in mid-December and Newcastle have received each sport since.

“I assumed Sandro was magnificent at the moment,” Howe mentioned afterwards. “We all the time ask our midfielders to do completely different jobs relying on our opposition. Right now he had a deeper function off the ball and I assumed he did it completely brilliantly,

“He adopted it to the letter. He was placing out a variety of transition points for us, so I assumed his particular person efficiency was sturdy however I assumed midfield was the important thing space as a result of we had a variety of the ball and so they all used the ball very well.”

Pereira explains Lemina omission

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira talking within the press convention:

“The end result did not present what occurred within the sport. I’m so pleased with the gamers – we created many probabilities. We are going to get confidence and start to attain.

“Within the second half they [Newcastle] can rating a objective and we have now to understand that. They’ve the striker [Isak] who could be very quick and nice high quality.

“We tried to do every thing properly so I can not criticise the defenders.”

Pereira additionally defined why former captain Mario Lemina was not in his squad for the sport.

“I can not play a participant who says he doesn’t really feel mentally in a situation to assist the staff. I can not play a participant who involves me and says that. He says he needs to go away.

“This mentality I don’t want. I’d moderately give an opportunity to somebody who’s dedicated. He got here to my workplace after the press convention yesterday.”

Evaluation: Wolves’ weak defence

Pereira has made Wolves extra compact since his arrival however back-to-back 3-0 defeats within the Premier League underline the defensive enchancment nonetheless required if this group of gamers are to retain their top-flight standing for subsequent season.

Emmanuel Agbadou was included for his Premier League debut however endured some awkward moments, whereas Santi Bueno and Matt Doherty have been additionally culpable in permitting an excessive amount of area inside their very own field for the second and third Newcastle objectives.

Pereira will want extra from his attackers too, having created greater than sufficient alternatives to attain at St James’ Park and in that house defeat to Nottingham Forest. However it’s the defence, the worst within the Premier League, that is still the most important concern.

Story of the match in stats

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