Alexander Isak grabbed the spotlight with a brace in Newcastle United’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest.
With Champions League qualification at stake, both teams played a chaotic but captivating match at St James’ Park.
Isak made history by becoming the all-time top-scoring Swedish player in Premier League history, and his second goal just one minute later marked his 50th goal in the competition.
In addition to Isak, Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy also scored for Newcastle, who were clinical in the first half but allowed the game to become nervy after the break, making the finish more stressful than necessary.
While Isak’s performance was outstanding, another Newcastle player shone even brighter despite not scoring.
Lewis Hall delivered a flawless display against Nottingham Forest.
After being criticized for his performance in last week’s 4-0 loss to Manchester City, where he struggled to handle the Premier League champions, Hall silenced his critics with an impressive performance on Sunday.
Tasked with marking Newcastle transfer target Anthony Elanga, Hall neutralized him expertly and also contributed in attack.
Here are Hall’s match stats from the 4-3 win over Forest:
Minutes played: 90
Assists: 1
Chances created: 3
Touches: 93
Passes completed: 89% (47/53)
Dribbles completed: 100% (2/2)
Duels won: 66% (10/15)
Lewis Hall has become a key figure at Newcastle United.
After his move from Chelsea, Hall had to wait for his opportunity, gradually earning his place in Eddie Howe’s starting lineup.
He impressed during extra training sessions, and this season has firmly established himself as Newcastle’s first-choice left-back.
As a result, Hall earned an England call-up and will likely feature again for the Three Lions next month under Thomas Tuchel.
Having played the full 90 minutes against Forest, Hall has featured in every Premier League match this season and has been one of Newcastle’s standout performers.
While consistency is still something he can improve on, Hall, at just 20 years old, has immense potential ahead of him.
Alexander Isak was exceptional but 93-touch star was Newcastle United’s unsung hero vs Forest
