Alexander Isak adds to Ipswich misery as hat-trick secures emphatic Newcastle victory
If Eddie Howe gets his wish Alexander Isak will help Newcastle United end their lengthy trophy drought. His fear, and that of the Geordie nation, however is that he will become a club record sale before that can happen.
As the January transfer window looms nearer, the 25-year-old striker enhanced an already-glowing reputation by helping himself to a hat-trick, his first for the club and a first for anyone at Newcastle since 2019.
More accurately, Ipswich Town helped him help himself to it, so inept was their defending from the very first minute. Former Norwich man Jacob Murphy, supplier of two assists, was the other scorer.
The goals, the first coming in just 26 seconds, brought Isak’s total for the season to 11 in all competitions, 10 of which have come in the last 11 games. The previous season he netted 25 in 40 appearances and on joining from Real Sociedad for £65 million in August 2022 his debut season garnered 10 in 27 games.
No wonder a number of other clubs, Arsenal included, covet the Sweden striker and are prepared to spend big, something Howe himself has been unable to do for a while because of tightened financial regulations.
“He’s a world-class talent,” said the Newcastle manager. “The way he took his goals, he has coolness and composure which few have.
“Of course, no part of me or Newcastle wants Alex to go. He is part of our long-term plans and I don’t see that as any issue. I want him to be the man who helps contribute to us winning a trophy.”
Isak signed a six-year contract to June 2028 when he arrived on Tyneside which means Newcastle should be able to hold out for a world-class fee should they be backed into a corner. Howe was confident staying was more likely, however. “All our talks about his future at Newcastle are positive,” he said. “He has a long contract and I am sure the club and his representatives will talk when the time is right.”
Isak’s previous hat-trick was for Willem II in the Dutch Eredivisie in March 2019 when he was on loan from Borussia Dortmund. “It’s been a long time coming for Newcastle,” he admitted. “I’m buzzing.
“Just scoring goals will give confidence and help me and the team. It doesn’t matter if it’s one, two or three.”
Alex Isak hits a hat-trick! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0OuWvlvW63
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 21, 2024
Newcastle moved up to seventh, a point behind Manchester City. Ipswich remain third bottom, two points adrift of safety but that position will worsen should either of Everton or Leicester, the two clubs above them, get results on Sunday.
Whatever plan Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had to secure a first top-flight home win since 2002, it was made redundant within 26 seconds. Fabian Schar’s long ball from just outside his own box saw Murphy sprint away from left-back Leif Davis and when Town captain Sam Morsy could only half-block the cross Isak applied a cool finish. Assistant referee Natalie Aspinall flagged Murphy offside but a lengthy VAR inquest showed he was on.
Murphy, who began his career at Carrow Road with twin brother Josh in 2006, claimed the second when Anthony Gordon skipped unchallenged across the box to set him up for a thumping drive that went in off the crossbar.
The third, in first-half stoppage time, was even more preventable as Town became the latest Premier League outfit this season to self-destruct from a back-pass. Goalkeeper Aro Muric received it from centre-back Dara O’Shea and passed it to midfielder Jens Cajuste, who was unaware he had Bruno Guimarães bearing down on him at speed. The Brazilian poked to Isak, who seemed almost embarrassed to be handed such a simple finish.
Guimarães saw a header bounce off a post early in the second period before Isak slotted through a defender’s legs to claim the match ball in the 54th minute. Murphy’s assist was a back-heel born of brimming confidence.
Dan Burn put the ball in the Ipswich net in stoppage-time but VAR ruled the defender had come back from an offside position to do so.
Ipswich badly missed the suspended Liam Delap as their focal point up front.
It does not get any easier for McKenna & Co as their next opponents are Arsenal and Chelsea but the man who masterminded back-to-back promotions in the past two seasons knows his players must stop making basic errors at the back.
“It’s clear we need to show a different side to us in the upcoming game,” McKenna said. “The game was realistically gone at half-time. It just got away from us. We need to learn quickly and get to our maximum level.
“Isak was everything that we thought and what Newcastle were. They have pace and athleticism. They opened us up and we didn’t game-manage to close it up.”
05:00 PM GMT
FULL TIME: West Ham 1 Brighton 1
Honours even in East London. Not sure who will be happier with that one.
04:58 PM GMT
FULL TIME: Ipswich 0 Newcastle 4
Ipswich stay in the relegation zone and they still wait for their first Premier League win at Portman Road for decades.
04:57 PM GMT
FULL TIME: Brentford 0 Nottingham Forest 2
Bang goes Brentford’s unbeaten home record in the league and Forest are up to third...
04:55 PM GMT
GOAL! Newcastle make it five, or they think they have...
Ipswich had managed to stop their leaky defence for more than 30 minutes but it seems that Dan Burn has made it five for Newcastle. Or has he?
VAR are having a look...and it is ruled out. It stays 4-0.
04:49 PM GMT
Nearly into injury time
Newcastle’s three points are all but confirmed and Forest look good, too. Can anyone find a winner in East London, though?
04:49 PM GMT
Nearly into injury time
Newcastle’s three points are all but confirmed and Forest look good, too. Can anyone find a winner in East London, though?
04:44 PM GMT
Newcastle cruising to victory
“Al-Hamadi personifies Ipswich’s frustrations by fouling Bruno with a late one and getting booked. Fellow sub Nathan Broadhead has at least forced Martin Dubravka into a (straight-forward) save, however. Newcastle just going through the motions here, with Bruno taken off before anyone can do him any more damage. Isak and Murphy have already been subbed, the closest you can probably get to a declaration in football.”
04:43 PM GMT
Still all square at West Ham...
But openings at both ends. Brighton miss a clear chance and the game stays at 1-1. Did it hit the post?
04:34 PM GMT
Into the final 15 minutes or so now
As it stands Forest are heading third, Newcastle up to seventh with Brighton ninth and West Ham 14th.
04:21 PM GMT
GOAL! West Ham equalise
Mohammed Kudus is there to put West Ham level. They were not behind for long.
West Ham 1 Brighton 1
“Fullkrug’s race is run. He’s been replaced by Crysencio Summerville and that has to go down as one of the most underwhelming Premier League debuts ever. To think West Ham wanted Jhon Duran originally…and just like that West Ham are level!”
04:16 PM GMT
GOAL! Isak has a hat-trick
Newcastle begin the second half where they finished the first. It’s 4-0 now. “You do worry for Ipswich” might be applicable here.
“Ipswich make a change at the break with Omari Hutchinson hooked for Ali Al-Hamadi. The Iraq striker loses no time in bursting through but sees his shot blocked by a defender. Newcastle reply with a Bruno header that hits a post and and Isak’s hat-trick goal, another simple slot in from a superb Murphy back-heel. Ipswich are getting a lesson here.”
Ipswich 0 Newcastle 4
04:13 PM GMT
GOAL! Brighton area head
The deadlock has been broken at the London Stadium and it’s Mats Wieffer who has done so. A VAR check confirms this. He’s onside. And they also check for a foul on the keeper, but it’s fine.
West Ham 0 Brighton 1
“That’s woken up the Brighton fans, but the West Ham supporters are still pretty silent. There’s also quite a lot of empty seats dotted around the Hammerbowl.”
04:11 PM GMT
John Wark at Portman Road
John Wark, Ipswich hero of the the Bobby Robson sides that won the 1978 FA Cup and the UEFA Cup in 1981, is being interviewed on the pitch, with plenty of his former team-mates also in attendance. How the Town fans would love just a little slice of Sir Bobby’s magic on their Premier League return after two years of rapid success under Kieran McKenna.
‘We should have won the title in 1981,’ Wark opines and is clapped off. Newcastle haven’t won anything since 1955* of course, even when Sir Bobby was boss but their fans are far happier with the present. Including the big bloke with his top off getting rained on...
*or 1969 if you think the Fairs Cup counts.
04:11 PM GMT
GOAL! Forest double their lead
Anthony Elanga with the second! Forest up to third in the as-it-stands table... Arsenal take on Palace later today.
Brentford 0 Forest 2
04:10 PM GMT
Meanwhile, in Stratford
“A giant Peppa Pig is now on the side of the London Stadium pitch. Maybe I’m still drunk.”
03:51 PM GMT
HALF-TIME: West Ham 0 Brighton 0
Goalless in East (East, East) London. Matt Law is categorically Not Enjoying It.
“I’m going to be honest. I am hungover and that first half has done absolutely nothing to improve it. Mind you, it looks like Füllkrug drank too much port last night, rather than me. The home fans could barely be bothered to boo when the half-time whistle went.”
03:51 PM GMT
HALF-TIME: Ipswich 0 Newcastle 3
A poor, poor first half from the home side.
03:48 PM GMT
HALF-TIME: Brentford 0 Nottingham Forest 1
Forest’s good form continuing for now, but they still have to get the job done in the second half.
03:47 PM GMT
GOAL! Ipswich slump to 3-0 down
Isak with his second of the game... Ipswich being rolled over here.
“More calamity for Ipswich. Isak slots home almost apologetically as Town implode at the back again, in stoppage time. Muric gets a back-pass and tries to give it to Cajuste. Who has Bruno Guimaraes bearing down on him. The Brazilian gets a toe to the ball and it goes straight to Isak for a simple finish.
“It has been a chastening 45 minutes for Ipswich, who get a smattering of boos as they sprint off. The Geordie fans are bouncing though - they have already all but wrapped up victory in the Sir Bobby Robson derby.”
Ipswich 0 Newcastle 3
03:40 PM GMT
GOAL! Forest are ahead
Ola Aina with the opener after 38 minutes and Neco Williams with the assist.
Brentford 0 Nottingham Forest 1
03:40 PM GMT
Ipswich’s defending not up to it
“It’s Murphy’s day, he doubles the lead in the 33rd minute with a cracking drive in off the crossbar. Gordon makes it by receiving the ball on the Ipswich right and shuttles across a line of non-challengers in the box before laying off a pass to Murphy. The winger is in far too much space and has the time to take a touch and rifle home. Ipswich simply cannot defend at this level.”
03:36 PM GMT
Pelting it down at Portman Road
That will not improve Ipswich fans’ mood.
03:33 PM GMT
Füllkrug in a word: ‘awful’
“This is Niclas Füllkrug’s first Premier League start for West Ham today and it would be fair to say that his first 30 minutes have been absolutely awful. And that’s being kind. So far he’s conceded free-kicks and given the ball straight back to Brighton in a promising break.”
03:32 PM GMT
GOAL!
Murphy puts Newcastle 2-0 ahead... a cracker by the sounds of it, off the crossbar into the roof of the net.
Ipswich 0 Newcastle 2
03:31 PM GMT
Claudia Schiffer in attendance at the Gtech
No, us either.
03:26 PM GMT
Ipswich showing some fight
“Ipswich have at last began to fight back. Jens Cajuste fires ca-juste over from outside the box and Martin Dubravka then has to rush out to foil Szmodics after Conor Chaplin played him in. More left side of defence problems quickly follow though and Morsy does well to block Murphy’s shot.
“Ipswich scored a lot of goals in the Championship from Davis getting forward on the left. Now it looks like their Achilles Heel. Straight after Isak gets in again, this time he fires at Muric.”
03:20 PM GMT
Ipswich being torn apart
“Another chance for Newcastle. Murphy again out-paces Davis on the right and Anthony Gordon, rushing in ahead of Harry Clarke, meets his cross with a downward header. Gordon ends up in the net but the ball bounces off the turf and over the bar this time. Ipswich are being torn apart down their left – by a former Norwich player.”
03:18 PM GMT
Brentford looking the more likely
Three shots and two on target to Forest’s none and none respectively.
03:08 PM GMT
Jon West on that Newcastle goal
“Newcastle lead after 26 seconds! Sam Morsy’s half-clearance was smashed home by Alexander Isak 11 yards in front of goal. Jacob Murphy supplied the cross that Morsy couldn’t cope with - but was flagged offside. Over to VAR and Murphy was indeed just on. Fabian Schar’s long ball from just outside his own box caught Leif Davis napping and it was a good finish from Isak, off the turf and zinging past keeper Aro Muric.”
03:08 PM GMT
Flat atmosphere at West Ham
Flatmosphere?
“Since the band has stopped and the game kicked off, a silence has descended inside the London Stadium. It’s a very, very flat atmosphere at the moment.”
03:03 PM GMT
A goal at Ipswich...
...for Newcastle? VARs are checking the goal. Mike Dean, on Sky Sports, says he thinks it is just onside.
Indeed it is onside. Isak with the goal to put Newcastle 1-0 up in no time at all.
03:01 PM GMT
KICK-OFF!
We are under way in Brentford, Ipswich and Stratford.
02:59 PM GMT
Festive spirit in London
“There’s a brass band at the London Stadium playing Christmas songs ahead of kick-off and a claret and blue Santa wandering around. But will the festive spirit last? Brighton have never lost at West Ham’s new stadium.”
02:59 PM GMT
Festive spirit in London
“There’s a brass band at the London Stadium playing Christmas songs ahead of kick-off and a claret and blue Santa wandering around. But will the festive spirit last? Brighton have never lost at West Ham’s new stadium.”
02:38 PM GMT
View from Portman Road
“Both sides are missing a key performer as Liam Delap is absent for Ipswich through suspension and Newcastle’s Joelinton is also banned. Delap will be missed the most, I would argue, given that he is Town’s top scorer with Kieran McKenna’s men still searching for that elusive first home win in the Premier League since 2002.
“Sammie Szmodics, last season’s top scorer in the Championship while at Blackburn, steps in for Town with Joe Willock a lively replacement in the middle for the visitors.”
02:12 PM GMT
West Ham United vs Brighton line-ups: the traditional view
West Ham United
Starting XI: Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson Palmieri, Alvarez, Soucek, Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Kudus, Fullkrug.
Substitutes: Areola, Coufal, Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Todibo, Irving, Scarles.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Starting XI: Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan, Baleba, Wieffer, Gruda, Rutter, Mitoma, Joao Pedro.
Substitutes: Steele, Lamptey, Igor, Enciso, Adingra, Minteh, Ayari, Ferguson, O’Riley.
Referee
Robert Jones (Merseyside)
02:10 PM GMT
Ipswich Town vs Newcastle United line-ups: the traditional view
Ipswich Town
Starting XI: Muric, Harrison Clarke, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics, Chaplin.
Substitutes: Walton, Phillips, Taylor, Al Hamadi, Johnson, Townsend, Greaves, Broadhead, Jack Clarke.
Newcastle United
Starting XI: Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Substitutes: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley.
Referee
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
02:08 PM GMT
Brentford vs Nottingham Forest line-ups: the traditional view
Brentford
Starting XI: Flekken, Ajer, Collins, Mee, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade.
Substitutes: Valdimarsson, Carvalho, Yarmolyuk, Meghoma, Konak, Roerslev, Maghoma, Kim, Yogane.
Nottingham Forest
Sels, Murillo, Milenkovic, Morato, Aina, Gibbs-White, Anderson, Williams, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Substitutes: Carlos Miguel, Awoniyi, Toffolo, Dominguez, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Boly.
Referee
Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
01:54 PM GMT
West Ham United vs Brighton starting line-ups
Bring on Brighton ✊ pic.twitter.com/2IUZuqp6cH
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 21, 2024
TEAM NEWS! 🚨 Here's our starting XI to face @WestHam this afternoon... 👀📝 pic.twitter.com/aYu9N0inNz
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 21, 2024
01:53 PM GMT
Ipswich Town vs Newcastle United starting line-ups
Your Town to face the Magpies. ✊#IPSNEW | @Nustone_UK pic.twitter.com/Wh3yY9zN9O
— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) December 21, 2024
HOWAY THE LADS! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ljz4PWNTGe
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 21, 2024
01:52 PM GMT
Brentford vs Nottingham Forest starting line-ups
Your Forest XI to face Brentford. 👊 pic.twitter.com/dbgjXYjKeh
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) December 21, 2024
Your Bees to face Forest 🐝 pic.twitter.com/jdQLTi0Fc6
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 21, 2024
01:51 PM GMT
Good afternoon
Welcome to our live coverage for the three Premier League 3pm kick-offs this afternoon. What is in store for you? Well, it is hardly a bumper afternoon of action, but that is often the case these days and especially at this time of year with plenty of games, yes, but spread out over various days in the festive period.
We have Brentford taking on Nottingham Forest, with both sides having above average seasons so far, perhaps given expectations. That is certainly the case for Forest who, at the start of the day, were flying high in fourth ahead of even Manchester City. A win today for Brentford could catapult them a few places up in the table, but it is a pretty congested fight from sixth down to 13th with just three points separating Bournemouth (who started the day in sixth) and Manchester United, who began it in 13th. Both sides have won three of their last six, though the bookies’ odds would suggest the game is close to a toss-up.
Ipswich Town take on Newcastle United with this being the Suffolk side’s first season in the Premier League since 2001-02. Are they making a decent fist of it? Just about, their 12 points from 16 games that leaves them in the relegation zone but by no means well adrift, trailing Leicester’s in 17 by just a couple of points. The visitors, meanwhile, are in that congested mid-table zone, not exactly having a bad season but not a good one either. Certainly a top-seven finish, as was the case last year, looks more difficult with just two wins in their last six league games.
West Ham also take on Brighton in the third and final (alphabetically) of the 3pm kick-offs Again, two sides in patchy form but Brighton’s arguably slightly patchier with just two points in their last four games. That has led to them dropping down outside of the top four, though they very much remain in the fight for the European positions. West Ham meanwhile sit in 14th. Are they in a relegation battle? Not quite yet with a seven point buffer, but it would not take much of a bad run to put them in the mire, though you would currently back them to avoid that.
