If English football hadn’t noticed Newcastle United’s improvements over the past month, they certainly have now that Arsenal have been put to the sword.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies made it seven wins on the bounce as they moved within touching distance of the Carabao Cup final, leaving the Emirates with a deserved 2-0 victory.
We’re running out of superlatives when it comes to Alexander Isak, but let’s attempt to eulogise his brilliance all the same.
Alexander Isak's incredible form continues
Not since Alan Shearer have Newcastle boasted such an awesome centre-forward in their ranks.
Isak extended his scoring streak to 14 goals from 15 matches, with Sky Sports’ Keith Downie hailing the Swedish sensation’s “unplayable” performance in north London.
Arsenal had the lion’s share of the shots, the ball, the control, but United’s backline stood firm and never really looked in danger, demonstrating through Isak the unmatched impact that an elite striker will offer.
He only took 25 touches and was withdrawn after 65 minutes as Howe looked to preserve his fitness levels, but Isak showed so many facets to his game, technical, intelligent, selfless and – crucially – incisive when it mattered.
Minutes played
65′
Goals
1
Assists
0
Touches
25
Shots (on target)
2 (2)
Pass completion
13/15 (87%)
Key passes
2
Long balls
3/3
Dribbles (completed)
3 (2)
Duels (won)
6 (2)
Isak takes the accolades once again, and fair play to him. However, he wasn’t the only star to impress, with big Dan Burn proving his importance once again.
Burn proved he's one of Howe's "best signings"
Burn has been a veritable pillar of strength and security since joining Newcastle as one of Howe’s first recruits in January 2022, leaving Brighton in a deal worth £13m.
He certainly proved that he’s one of the English manager’s “best signings” – as he has been called by Howe himself in recent times – against the Gunners, who looked flat on the evening but were actually just mortalised against an oiled and efficient unit.
Penning their post-match thoughts, The Shields Gazette hailed the 8/10 Burn for his expertise in dealing with Arsenal’s deadly set-piece threat, winning four of his five contested aerial battles as well as his one ground duel, as per Sofascore.
Burn also completed all 23 of his passes and excelled in lashing six clearances away from the danger area.
But it’s not just the statistical data that bespeaks the 6 foot 6 titan’s quality. Cast your mind to the closing stages. Burn could have attempted to knock Kai Havertz off the ball as the German drifted to the byline, but instead, he leant ever so slightly onto him, forced him to panic and thread a hopeful pass that was swept away with ease.
It denoted the 32-year-old’s experience and composure, embodying Howe’s vision and the way that he wishes his team to play.
Isak is the goal-getter, the headline-snatcher, but Newastle’s strength comes in the fact that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That bears testament to the coaching, but it also owes much to players such as Dan Burn, who has been an absolute steal at £13m for this wonderful project, now a step closer to lifting a piece of silverware.
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