Eddie Howe has insisted he would not swap Alexander Isak for any other forward in world football – Erling Haaland included.

All eyes will be on Sweden’s Isak and Norway’s Haaland as two of the world’s best strikers meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday for Newcastle’s visit to Manchester City.

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“I love working with Alex and I wouldn’t swap him for anyone,” said Howe. “We’ve tried to help him by moulding our style of play to suit his game. I really respect Erling and what he’s done in his career is unbelievable, but we really love Alex.”

Where Haaland is perhaps more of a traditional forward and has a set tactical role in Pep Guardiola’s side, Isak remains a somewhat unconventional frontman. “I don’t think you can compare Alex to anyone,” said Howe. “Alex is very, very different to any other striker I’ve seen or worked with.

“He does things that aren’t like your traditional centre-forward. He’s almost a winger combined into a striker’s mentality because his footwork and dribbling ability is so good. That’s almost winger-like and then you put him into the middle of the pitch and, with his pace and technical ability and exceptional finishing, he’s sort of got the whole package linked into one. He’s very unique and I’d encourage him to stay that way.”

City’s recent stumbles have opened the door to potential Champions League qualification for Newcastle as Howe’s Carabao Cup finalists enter a crucial run of fixtures. “This is a tough period of games and, in the Premier League, is probably season-defining,” said Newcastle’s manager, whose side are sixth, level on points with fifth-placed City, and face Nottingham Forest at home next Sunday before visiting Liverpool the following Wednesday.

Howe’s cause is aided by his willingness to be tactically adaptable and alter Newcastle’s high-intensity pressing approach when circumstances demand. But he does not agree with suggestions that the more positional brand of football that revolutionised English football following Guardiola’s arrival at City is all but over.

“Interesting question,” Howe said. “I don’t think positional play is dead but the game is always evolving and you’ve got to keep changing with it. It’s certainly evolved from three or four years ago. The perfect system doesn’t really exist.”

Howe conceded there is a delicate balance between imposing tactical control and affording players freedom to improvise. “It’s a really fine line,” he said. “You don’t want to take away that feeling that creative players can change games. But on the other hand if all the players do what they want, you have chaos. You do need structure but I do think that, if you go too far one way, it’s a negative.”