NOTTINGHAM:
Alexander Isak stated Newcastle consider they are going to seal a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League after the Swede scored twice, together with a stoppage time penalty, to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Friday.
Victory lifts the Magpies to inside one level of fourth-placed Tottenham and with a sport in hand to come back on Spurs.
“We believe and we know that we have it in our own hands and have a good chance,” stated Isak after Newcastle signed off for the worldwide break with back-to-back wins.
“It is important we have gone into this break with a good feeling with two wins from two games.”
Defeat was Forest’s first at home within the league since September and leaves Steve Cooper’s males nonetheless two factors above the relegation zone.
“It’s always the worst way to lose, in the last couple of minutes, having fought in the game,” stated Cooper. “We made some poor football decisions around the build-up to the goals and that’s something we can only blame ourselves for.”
Newcastle ended a near two-month await a Premier League win final weekend in beating Wolves and got here flying out the blocks on the City Ground.
But the closest the guests got here to turning their early dominance right into a lead was when Renan Lodi turned Isak’s cross onto his personal crossbar.
Instead it was Forest who went in entrance fully towards the run of play because of a howler from Sven Botman.
The Dutch centre-back has been a significant factor in Newcastle’s success this season however his tried cross again to goalkeeper Nick Pope was intercepted by Emmanuel Dennis, who produced a surprising chipped end for simply his second Forest purpose.
The crossbar got here to the home aspect’s rescue once more when Sean Longstaff’s deflected strike from the sting of the field got here again off the woodwork.
Newcastle lastly acquired their reward in first half stoppage time when the membership’s document signing Isak acrobatically flicked in Joe Willock’s cross off the publish.
The sample of play continued after the break because the Magpies laid siege to the Forest purpose.
Former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas needed to be at his finest to show over highly effective drives from Elliot Anderson and Bruno Guimaraes.
Anderson then thought he had his first senior purpose when he headed in Isak’s cross on the again publish.
However, the purpose was controversially disallowed after a VAR test for offside towards Longstaff within the build-up regardless of the ball breaking to the midfielder off a Forest participant.
Just when Forest seemed set to carry out for a treasured level of their battle to beat the drop, Moussa Niakhate needlessly put his hand as much as block Isak’s tame header.
The Swedish worldwide’s debut season in England has been blighted by damage, however he confirmed his class by protecting his head to fit previous Navas and spark wild scenes of celebration among the many away help.
“It’s a massive win and I thought we deserved it,” stated Howe.
“To come back is always a great way to win and the character shown in the group is very pleasing.”
