Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle: Alexander Isak scores first Premier League hat-trick in win at Portman Road
Alexander Isak netted his first hat-trick in the Premier League as Newcastle capped off a fantastic week with a dominant 4-0 victory over Ipswich at Portman Road, propelling them into seventh place.
After netting four goals against Leicester last Saturday and securing a victory over Brentford on Wednesday to advance to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Newcastle entered this match brimming with confidence. They dominated Ipswich, who are still in search of their first home league victory of the season.
After the match, Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, stated that we are witnessing Isak, a player of "world-class" caliber, getting back to his top form. He also indicated that the club is unlikely to sell the striker in order to adhere to financial regulations.
Howe stated, "Nobody here at Newcastle wants to lose Alex. He is an essential part of our future plans. I truly believe that it won’t be a problem."
He remarked, "The way he seized his opportunities today shows he has a level of calm and poise in front of the goal that’s rare among players." Howe continued, "When you factor in his additional skills, like his speed and technical ability, he truly has everything you need."
Player evaluations: Isak and Murphy shine
Ipswich: Muric (4), Clarke (5), O'Shea (6), Burgess (5), Davis (6), Cajuste (5), Morsy (5), Szmodics (5), Hutchinson (5), Burns (5), Chaplin (6).
Substitutes: Broadhead (6), Johnson (6), Taylor (6), Phillips (6), Al-Hamadi (6).
Newcastle: Dubravka earned a 7, Livramento also received a 7, Schar got a 7, Burn was rated at 7, Hall stood out with an 8, Tonali was awarded an 8, Guimaraes received an 8, Willock had a 6, Gordon impressed with an 8, Isak shone brightly with a 9, and Murphy similarly stood out with a score of 9.
Substitutes: Miley (6), Longstaff (6), Barnes (6), Trippier (6), Almiron (6).
Match MVP: Alexander Isak.
Newcastle burst out of the gate, scoring just 25 seconds into the match as Isak found the back of the net after Jacob Murphy's cross ricocheted back to him in the box. However, the goal wasn't confirmed until a lengthy VAR review delayed its announcement by at least two minutes.
Murphy was stellar for Newcastle once more, scoring their second goal after 30 minutes. This brought his tally to three goals in just two league matches—equaling the number he managed in his last 37 games.
Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric made a questionable choice to pass the ball short to Jens Cajuste just before halftime. This led to Newcastle's captain Bruno Guimaraes capitalizing on the mistake, gaining possession in the box and setting up Isak to score his second goal.
Isak completed his hat-trick with an incredible back-heel pass from Murphy, who skillfully navigated around a group of Ipswich defenders in the penalty area. He set up Isak perfectly, allowing him to walk away from Portman Road with the match ball after scoring his first three goals for Newcastle.
Ipswich will stay in the relegation zone through the Christmas period after enduring their worst home loss since April 2018. Meanwhile, Newcastle has briefly climbed to seventh place, despite starting the weekend in the lower half of the standings.
Howe: Isak's Making A Strong Comeback
Newcastle manager Howe stated that "world-class" Isak is getting back to his top form and he doesn't anticipate any concerns regarding the striker's future during the January transfer period.
"At the start of the season, we didn't incorporate him into the game effectively, and our overall performance wasn't working in his favor," Howe explained. "It's a two-way street; he also has a role in this."
In recent weeks, we’ve observed the team working together more effectively and creating more opportunities for him near the goal. At that point, his natural talent shines through, and he is currently playing with a great deal of confidence.
"I believe we are witnessing him back at his top form."
Newcastle has been forced to sell players like Yankuba Minteh to adhere to the financial regulations set by the Premier League. However, Howe seemed to dismiss the idea of Isak being sold when the transfer window opens next month.
When asked about keeping him, Howe responded, "Definitely. Neither I nor anyone else at Newcastle wants to lose Alex. He’s an important part of our future plans. Personally, I don't foresee this being a problem."
McKenna: We Must Learn From This Experience
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna stated that his team needs to display a different approach in their upcoming matches against Arsenal and Chelsea to prevent facing a similar outcome after being overwhelmed by Newcastle.
He remarked, "We need to learn from this experience. There haven't been many moments like it, and we've managed to stay highly competitive throughout the season. The team has done an excellent job in maintaining that competitiveness. To stay in the running, we must aim for nearly perfect performances and ensure that we consistently take the right actions."
"We weren't able to achieve that; we faced a stronger opponent, and the match slipped out of our control."
We have some areas to improve and there are aspects of our performance this season that have been strong, which we didn’t demonstrate today. It's evident that we need to reveal a different version of ourselves in the upcoming matches.
By halftime, it was clear that the game was lost. The second half focused on displaying the proper qualities on the field, and the fans matched that intensity, showing their support at an impressive level.
Everyone recognizes the challenges we've faced to stay competitive. The audience is aware of the effort we've put in. Unfortunately, the game slipped out of our grasp, and we hope to avoid that feeling in the future.
