EDDIE HOWE admits Alexander Isak “suffered” in Newcastle United’s 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth – but felt the striker was far from the only player to underperform as the Magpies’ nine-game winning run came crashing to an end.

Isak went into yesterday as the most in-form forward in the Premier League, with a host of commentators and pundits having praised him as one of the best strikers in the world in the wake of his midweek display against Wolves.

However, on a deeply frustrating afternoon, the Swede failed to record a single effort on target, with his only shot coming to nothing deep in the second half when he fired a poor free-kick straight into the Bournemouth wall.

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Howe conceded that Isak was a long way off his best, but felt his side’s collective malaise meant it was impossible for any individual to really shine.

When asked whether Isak played to his usual levels, Howe said: “No, he didn't. But I think he suffered as the team suffered, suffered from a lack of ball. I just think Bournemouth knocked our rhythm and all our normal way of playing was knocked.

“I don't think any department survived, I don't think any individuals survived in the sense of the levels they had been playing at previously. I don't think we were there.”

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Newcastle would have set a new club record for ten successive victories had they beaten Bournemouth yesterday lunchtime.

Instead, Justin Kluivert’s hat-trick condemned them to their heaviest home defeat since Manchester City claimed a 4-0 victory on Tyneside in December 2021.

“It’s disappointing (missing out on the record), but it’s not something that we focused on,” said Howe. “We’ve been very much taking it step by step, game by game, and doing really well with that train of thought, so I didn’t want to deviate too much from that.

“When you know that these records aren’t going to be breakable for us very often, that was a real opportunity for us.”