Alexander Isak inspired Newcastle United to a history-making 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday evening.
That Premier League triumph represented Newcastle’s ninth consecutive victory across all competitions, a feat only ever achieved twice before in the club’s 144-year history – and never surpassed.
Rafa Benitez came within one match of double-digit triumphs during Newcastle’s all-conquering Championship campaign in 2016/17. The only previous precedent for such a prolific winning run in the top flight was the glorious tenure of Kevin Keegan. After winning their final match of the 1993/94 campaign, the club’s legendarily free-wheeling outfit began the new season with eight straight wins.
The prolific figure of Andrew Cole rattled in eight goals for Keegan’s early iteration of the ‘Entertainers’. Alexander Isak has surpassed his legendary predecessor, netting ten goals across this nine-game winning run for the Magpies.
The Swede, who is increasingly looking worthy of his lofty £150m valuation, fired Newcastle in front shortly after the half-hour mark, making the visit of Wolves to St James’ Park the eighth consecutive top-flight match in which Isak has scored. Only three other players in Premier League history have been able to match that burst of goals (Jamie Vardy, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Daniel Sturridge).
Isak doubled the hosts advantage after the interval and had the chance to complete his hat-trick but, after watching his initial effort get blocked, the in-form forward selflessly squared for Anthony Gordon to make it 3-0 in the 74th minute.
Howe may have joined a pantheon of Newcastle icons but is never one to give in to hyperbole. Which – based on some of the verbal knots which Keegan and Benitez tied themselves in – is perhaps no bad thing. “We’re in the key moment where that could lead to something else, so that’s why I would urge my players and myself included to ignore everything and focus on the next one,” the manager warned ahead of the midweek win.
Victory took Newcastle above Chelsea and into the Premier League top four, just three points adrift of Nottingham Forest in third. “I believe anything is possible for us,” Howe reluctantly admitted earlier this week. “I said the same last season and the season before.
“There’s never a ceiling on what we can achieve. The only ceiling is what we potentially put in our own way. That’s an important point. I don’t think we can try and put anything in our own way.”
