Game of the season at St. James' Park?
Newcastle United 4 - 3 Nottingham Forest
Alexander Isak netted his 50th Premier League goal as Newcastle United produced a blistering first-half display to overcome Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park.
Forest took an early lead when Callum Hudson-Odoi capitalised on a defensive slip, but Newcastle responded in devastating fashion, scoring four times in an electrifying 11-minute spell to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the break.
Teenager Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy struck in quick succession to turn the game on its head, before Isak bagged a rapid-fire brace to pile more misery on the visitors. His second – his 19th of the season – saw him reach the 50-goal milestone in just 76 Premier League appearances, a feat achieved quicker by only six players in the competition’s history.
Forest did show some fight after the break, with Nikola Milenkovic pouncing on a defensive lapse to pull one back. Then, in the 90th minute, substitute Ryan Yates bundled home from a corner to set up a tense finale.
However, Newcastle held firm to secure a crucial victory that lifts them to fifth in the table – a position that should be enough to seal Champions League qualification. They now sit just three points behind Forest in third.
How a Premier League classic unfolded
The match had barely settled when Hudson-Odoi pounced on a loose ball from Jacob Murphy, surged forward, and caught Nick Pope off guard with a curling effort into the bottom corner.
Eddie Howe’s side wasted no time in seeking a response, with Anthony Gordon going close from Tino Livramento’s teasing cross. The equaliser arrived soon after through Miley, who marked his first league start in a year with a crisp low finish after Forest failed to clear a free-kick.
Murphy, at fault for the opener, made amends by forcing the ball over the line following a deflected pass from Lewis Hall. Things quickly went from bad to worse for Forest when Ola Aina handled Hall’s cross in the box, prompting referee Jarred Gillett to award a penalty after consulting the pitchside monitor.
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Isak stepped up and, despite goalkeeper Matz Sels getting a touch, squeezed his effort down the middle to extend Newcastle’s lead. Moments later, the Swedish striker added another, racing through on goal before finishing past Sels with a slight deflection off Murillo.
Forest struggled to deal with set-pieces all afternoon, and they almost conceded a fifth when Fabian Schär’s header from another dangerous Hall delivery clipped the top of the post.
Newcastle, though, took their foot off the gas in the second half, allowing Forest back into the contest. Milenkovic flicked Chris Wood’s header past Pope from a corner, and when Yates converted from another set-piece late on, the home fans were left biting their nails.
Despite the late wobble, Newcastle held on to claim a vital three points, keeping them firmly in the hunt for European football.
