'Massive' - Eddie Howe says what everyone is thinking about Alexander Isak at Newcastle United right now

It means the 2024-25 campaign is officially the best scoring season of Isak’s career, moving one clear of the 25 goals he scored for Newcastle in all competitions last season.

The 25-year-old’s goal came from the penalty spot to open the scoring at the end of the first half against Ipswich. Dan Burn and Will Osula scored headers in the second half to secure a comfortable win for Newcastle which takes them back up to third in the Premier League table with four games left to play.

Isak has played a vital role for Newcastle this season, becoming the first player to score 20 or more league goals for the club in successive seasons since Pop Robson 55 years ago. The Swede also scored what turned out to be the winner in Newcastle’s 2-1 Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool last month.

Alexander Isak’s goalscoring contribution for NUFC

Newcastle have been free-scoring since the cup win with 18 goals in their last six Premier League matches yet Isak’s goalscoring impact on the side has diminished.

Prior to winning the cup, Isak had contributed 19 of Newcastle’s 47 Premier League goals - a share of over 40%. Yet since then, he has scored just three out of 18 goals - a share of around 16%.

The striker is still averaging a goal every other game though since the final but his conversion rate has noticeably dropped off. Isak has registered 12 shots across Newcastle’s last two matches at St James’ Park but has squandered some good chances despite scoring on both occasions.

But in other matches against the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United and Leicester City, Isak has been kept relatively quiet. While Newcastle’s form has been very impressive, their top scorer has played more of a subdued role in the side, allowing the likes of Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes to take centre stage.

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Eddie Howe recognises Alexander Isak ‘dip’ in form for Newcastle United

For world class footballer’s like Isak, a so-called dip in form can be considered simply not taking chances he previously was playing a slightly less significant role in matches. The striker went through a similar run earlier in the season before hitting a rich vein of form that propelled him amongst the top scorers in the division.

But when asked about Isak’s performance against Ipswich, which saw him score a penalty and also apply a crucial touch that led to Ben Johnson’s sending off, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “Well, I think, yeah, in part, Ipswich's game plan would have been to stop Alex today. So I think the reducing of space, the low defensive line, does limit his ability to bring his main strengths to the game.

“Of course, as a team, then we still need to find a way to get him into the game. And I felt we did. And I felt he did. I felt he improved as the game went on.

“Possibly not [playing his best football] but I think that's the same with any player. There'll be little peaks and troughs.

“The most important thing is, throughout the season, that he's still contributing and scoring massive goals for us. And we back him to rediscover that, we're talking one or two percent back into his game, very quickly.”

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