Newcastle United were desperately poor against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, but Eddie Howe was at least pleased with one of his players.
The Magpies took the lead through Alexander Isak, who scored a first half penalty after being fouled in the box by Forest defender Ola Aina.
The 24-year-old converted his spot kick with ease, as he extended his lead over Callum Wilson as Newcastle’s top scorer this season. Isak now has 10 goals in all competitions, equalling his tally from last season.
While Newcastle are going through a difficult moment and played particularly poorly against Nottingham Forest, this still has the makings of a brilliant season for Isak on a personal level. He is proving himself to be one of the top forwards in the entire Premier League, and Eddie Howe was very pleased with his contribution on Boxing Day.
Eddie Howe pleased with Alexander Isak despite Nottingham Forest defeat
Following Newcastle’s 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest, Howe spoke to NUFC TV. He was asked to discuss Isak’s performance after returning to the starting XI.
“I thought Alex played very well today,” he said.
“I thought he played very well in both positions, whether it be as a number nine or a left winger.
“I’m very pleased with his intensity. He looked physically at the best he has in a number of weeks.
“Took his goal well so I think he was probably the biggest positive for us.”
Alexander Isak display was one of few positives for Newcastle on Boxing Day
This was Isak’s first start since the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. The forward has since been struggling with a reoccurring groin issue, and looked particularly off the pace during our Champions League exit against AC Milan.
Isak then missed a couple of games before returning against Luton, where he was the closest Toon player to getting an equaliser. He did have the ball in the net, only for it to be ruled out for a marginal offside.
The Sweden international was able to score against Forest, but it did not matter. Newcastle were unable to defend their lead as Chris Wood struck a hat-trick on his return to St James’ Park.
It was a massively concerning performance from the Magpies, but there were at least flashes of brilliance from Isak. He was the only attacker who looked a threat on Tuesday, particularly in the second half as Howe’s side looked to get back in the game.
His efforts were fruitless, but there were at least positives from Isak’s display. He was really poor in that game against AC Milan, looking nowhere near fit enough to have a positive impact.
But he was much sharper against Forest, and will hope that his recent injury issue is behind him.
