STRIKER, goalscorer and now Newcastle United record breaker. Is there nothing Alexander Isak cannot do at the moment?

When Isak fired home a deflected strike in the first half of last night’s 3-0 win over Wolves, he became the first Newcastle player ever to score in eight successive Premier League matches. Alan Shearer did pretty much everything in black-and-white, but even he didn’t manage that.

Just for good measure, Isak added a second goal after the break, slotting home from the heart of the penalty area, and then turned provider as he set up Anthony Gordon for his side’s third goal. His own successes took his tally to a remarkable 12 goals since the start of December. He has scored nine goals in his last six games, a run that makes him not only the most in-form forward in the Premier League, but arguably the most potent striker in the whole of Europe.

Little wonder Arsenal keep casting covetous glances in his direction. The Gunners are far from the only club eyeing Isak with a mixture of envy and desire, but if they are serious about reclaiming a place amongst the Champions League elite, there is simply no way Newcastle can even consider selling their Swedish superstar, no matter what money is offered in their direction. On this evidence, Isak would be utterly impossible to replace.

The Champions League is well and truly back on the agenda on Tyneside, with Newcastle’s latest success having lifted them into the top four for the first time all season. The Magpies were not at their fluent best for much of the evening, indeed on another night, Wolves, who hit the woodwork twice, might well have taken something from the game.

Eddie Howe’s side are on a roll though, sweeping opponents aside thanks largely to their brilliance of their centre-forward and a collective sense of purpose that served them so well two seasons ago when they qualified for Europe. Keep this going, and they will be dusting off their passports again.

Howe was spared a difficult decision last night when Fabian Schar became unavailable because of an illness, with Sven Botman returning to the side after missing Sunday’s FA Cup win over Bromley.

Newcastle had conceded just one goal in their previous five league matches; Wolves went into the game having shipped more away goals in the Premier League than any other side bar Leicester.

Improving defensively has been one of Vitor Pereira’s key aims since being appointed to succeed Gary O’Neil, so it was no surprise to see Wolves’ new boss opt for a five-man defence.

Emmanuel Agbadou, a January signing from Reims, made his debut in the visitors’ backline, and initially at least, the Magpies’ attacking play lacked much of the fluency that had been evident throughout much of their recent winning run.

More black-and-white passes went astray in the opening half-hour than in the previous three or four games combined, with a series of heavy touches preventing Newcastle players’ from building up any kind of rhythm.

Jacob Murphy was the one exception, firing in two dangerous early strikes that were saved low down by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, but even Isak’s radar was awry, with the Swede darting towards the centre of the penalty area after receiving Bruno Guimaraes’ pass, only to then drag a low shot wide of the post.

Thankfully, though, when you’re on the kind of goalscoring run that Isak is on at the minute, it sometimes doesn’t matter if you’re not quite at your clinical best.

Receiving the ball close to the left touchline shortly after the half-hour mark, Isak darted across the face of the 18-yard box. He almost lost possession once, only for the ball to ricochet fortuitously back into his path off a defender, and even when he let fly from just outside the area, his shot appeared to have been blocked. Instead, his strike took a heavy deflection off Rayan Ait-Nouri, wrong-footing Sa and sending the ball spinning into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. At the moment, Isak really can do no wrong.

Wolves’ players, on the other hand, have been up against it all season, and whereas things tend to fall your way when you’re winning, they often go against you when you’re battling at the wrong end of the league.

Jorgen Strand Larsen did just about everything right as he met Rodrigo Gomes’ low cross with a first-time strike towards the end of the first half, but while his swept shot beat Martin Dubravka’s right hand, the ball clipped the outside of the post. Dubravka would later turn a close-range effort from Matheus Cunha against the post at the opposite end of the field.

Cunha came off the bench at the start of the second half, and with the Brazilian starting the second half by firing a decent effort straight at Dubravka, Newcastle needed the security of a second goal.

It almost arrived when Gordon fired in a shot that was deflected over after a slick Newcastle counter-attack, it was Isak that was leading the celebrations again when the hosts successfully doubled their advantage just before the hour mark.

Given his recent scoring record, goodness only knows why Wolves’ central defenders decided to leave the Swede completely unmarked close to the penalty spot as Guimaraes fed a probing pass into the box. Isak could barely believe his luck as he received possession, and after turning neatly, he swept home a clinical finish.

He turned provider as Newcastle scored a third goal to make things safe with 17 minutes remaining, sliding over a low cross from the right that Gordon swept home with a slick first-time finish, and left to a deserved standing ovation when he was replaced moments later.