Alexander Isak stole the headlines by scoring a brace during Newcastle United’s 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest.
With Champions League qualification on the line, both clubs produced a chaotic but brilliant match at St James’ Park.
Alexander Isak made history by becoming the top-scoring Swedish player of all time in the Premier League, and his second goal just one minute later saw him hit a 50-goal landmark in the league.
Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy were also on the scoresheet for Newcastle, who were ruthless in the first half but let their foot off the pedal after the break, resulting in an unnecessarily nervy finish.
There is no denying that Isak was outstanding against Forest, but one Newcastle star was even more impressive despite not finding the back of the net.
Lewis Hall was flawless against Nottingham Forest
During the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City last week, Hall was criticised for being “petrified” after he struggled to contain the Premier League champions.
However, the 20-year-old responded to his critics in fashion on Sunday afternoon by putting on a masterclass against Forest.
Matched up against Newcastle transfer target Anthony Elanga, Hall handled him superbly and was a fantastic attacking outlet.
Here is a collection of Hall’s match stats from the 4-3 win over Forest:
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Chances created | 3 |
| Touches | 93 |
| Passes completed | 89% (47/53) |
| Dribbles completed | 100% (2/2) |
| Duels won | 66% (10/15) |
Lewis Hall has become a key player at Newcastle United
After joining from Chelsea, Hall had to remain patient before becoming a mainstay in Howe’s first-team plans.
Hall put in extra hours in training and impressed Newcastle’s staff, and this season he has nailed down that left-back spot as his own.
As a result of his strong start to the season, Hall was called up by England, and he will expect to be involved with the Three Lions again next month under Thomas Tuchel.
READ MORE: Eddie Howe has an ‘emergency’ Lewis Hall plan that will shock Newcastle United supporters
Having played the full 90 minutes against Forest, Hall has featured in every Premier League game this season and he has easily been one of Newcastle’s best players this campaign.
Consistency is still something to improve upon, but at 20 years old Hall still has plenty of potential to fulfill.
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