Two goals in five minutes from Alexander Isak almost gave Newcastle United victory on Sunday afternoon, but Eddie Howe’s side return north with just a draw.
That is because Mohammed Kudus scored an 89th minute equaliser for West Ham, making it 2-2 to give the Hammers a point they will believe they more than deserve – especially after referee Peter Bankes failed to send off Bruno Guimaraes in the first half.
It was a thrilling game of football at the London Stadium, and in the end a draw was a fair result.
However, Newcastle will feel like they should have held on for victory. Conceding late is always painful, but it is particularly agonizing considering how close Isak had came to making it 3-1.
The 24-year-old was played through on goal by Dan Burn, then skipped past the onrushing goalkeeper. While it was a tight angle, all Isak had to do was put it in the back of the net. Alas, his effort struck the post.
Howe hails ‘outstanding’ Isak despite miss vs West Ham
After the game, Eddie Howe spoke to BBC Sport. He discussed Isak’s miss at 2-1, and praised the striker’s overall performance against West Ham.
“Isak’s hat-trick opportunity was probably the defining moment,” he said.
“He’s an outstanding player, the first in particular is an outstanding finish.
“He is unlucky not to score the third but they are the small margins.”
Newcastle striker is on fire
Had Isak scored, it would have been a breathtaking hat-trick from the Sweden international.
Instead, he will have to settle for a brace, which means he now has seven goals in all competitions.
Howe was particularly impressed with Isak’s first goal, where he produced a clever finish to drag Newcastle level. His footwork was brilliant, as was the strike.
The second was much simpler, as Kieran Trippier put it on a plate for him.
It has been a really impressive start to the season for Isak, who is just three goals shy of his total tally from last season. Big things were expected from him at the start of the campaign, and the club record signing is massively delivering.
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