Newcastle United suffer fresh injury blow amid ‘advanced’ transfer and Isak brilliance - five things
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Alexander Isak stole the headlines as he scored for an eighth consecutive Premier League match to put him in very esteemed company in the record books. Anthony Gordon, who has been in tremendous form himself recently, also swept home an effort to secure a comfortable win for Eddie Howe’s side.
As Newcastle’s Premier League march goes on, here are five things worth noting from their win over Wolves on Wednesday night:
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Hide AdSchar injury - Botman returns to SJP
Newcastle United were delivered a significant blow ahead of Wednesday night’s match with the news that Fabian Schar had missed out through illness. Schar, who had also missed their last two games through suspension, was tipped to come back into the starting XI for the visit of Wolves as the club look to manage Sven Botman’s minutes.
However, a potential headache for Howe was alleviated because of Schar’s illness and whilst he isn’t expected to be out for too long, the form of Dan Burn and Botman ahead of him could mean the former Switzerland international faces a battle to get back into the starting XI.
Record breaker Isak
Wednesday night’s win will simply be remembered for yet another breathtaking performance from Isak - one that saw him poke his nose ahead of Alan Shearer - and current teammate Joe Willock - to seal a slice of Newcastle United history. Whilst there was a great deal of fortune about his first goal, a clinical second strike ensured that Isak would net in eight consecutive Premier League matches.
He now joins a very exclusive club alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy, Daniel Sturridge and Jamie Vardy, the current record holder of scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches, as the only four players to score in eight or more consecutive games. 11 goals in his last eight Premier League appearances is a sensational return for the Swede and, being able to get carried away for a second, will be someone that is eyeing breaking Vardy’s record.
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Hide AdHe needs goals against Bournemouth, Southampton and Fulham to equal the Leicester City man with a trip to the Etihad Stadium, a venue he has never scored at, potentially the scene of a record breaking haul. We can but believe.
PIF Adverts
Eagle-eyed fans at St James’ Park may have noticed PIF adverts popping up on the digital screens around the pitch during the match. This is the first time that PIF advertising has appeared at St James’ Park since the takeover of the club in October 2021.
With PSR issues as they are currently, the club know they must maximise revenue from all possible avenues with commercial deals one of the main ways they can do this. PIF currently own 85% of Newcastle United and had their shareholding increased following the departure of Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi in the summer.
Mid-match transfer update
Whilst Howe was delivering his half-time team talk, news emerged via the Athletic that the Magpies were ‘in talks’ with Atlanta United over a possible move for Miguel Almiron this month. The Paraguayan has not been a regular this term and had been linked with a return to the MLS with Charlotte FC in summer.
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Hide AdHowever, it appears that a return to the Mercedes Benz Arena could be on the cards in a deal worth around £11m. Selling Almiron would see Howe’s options in forward areas weakened at a time where both Harvey Barnes and Callum Wilson are currently sidelined through injury.
Unfortunately, PSR means they may be forced into selling players in order to fund signings not just this month, but in summer too. With Almiron’s game time waning at the club, it could be a good time to shift him on and free up funds for new recruits.
However, that in itself is not a straightforward move and will be one the club have to consider at great lengths before they sanction his sale. Speaking post-match, Howe was unsurprisingly coy on talk over Almiron’s future at St James’ Park, stating that ‘nothing was on his radar’ regarding the winger.
Birthday Dub for Dubravka amid future talk
All the talk surrounding the Slovakian of late has focused on his future at the club and what may, or may not, happen before the transfer window closes on Monday 3 February. Therefore, it can be easy to forget that, in amongst all of this talk, is a goalkeeper currently playing almost at the peak of his powers.
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Hide AdDubravka’s career on Tyneside started in the perfect manner with a brilliant display as Newcastle defeated Manchester United in February 2018. For the next few seasons, the Slovakian hardly looked back as he put in performance after performance, saving the Magpies precious points in their battles against relegation.
Whilst the last couple of seasons have been difficult, this recent run of form, and particularly Wednesday night, has reminded everyone just how good Dubravka can be on his day. Despite being relatively comfortable throughout the win, Dubravka made a couple of crucial saves, including a fantastic one to deny Jorgen Strand Larsen from point blank range to preserve his clean sheet.
Even when he was beaten, VAR stepped in to chalk off the goal and ensure that Dubravka would complete a seventh shutout in just ten appearances this season. Not a bad way to spend his 36th birthday.
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