Newcastle United were back to their best against Southampton.
After an early setback, it was business as usual for Eddie Howe’s side who returned to Tyneside with all three points and their heads held high.
Newcastle’s victory against Southampton puts them back on track to finish in a Champions League spot at the end of the season – they now need to build from the win and hit the ground running as they welcome Fulham to St James’ Park.
The game was not short of controversy. Newcastle were awarded a penalty which Efan Ekoku claimed was ‘gifted’ to them. From Southampton’s perspective, Saints boss Ivan Juric believed it should have been a free-kick to his team instead of a spot-kick.
It was an immediate response to Newcastle’s shock defeat to Bournemouth the week prior. Tino Livramento promised a positive result – he and his Newcastle teammates delivered just that.
With many players on top form, Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has named two standout stars in his Team of the Week.
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Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Newcastle Uni…
Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Alan Shearer names Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak in his Team of the Week
Alexander Isak bounced back from a disappointing performance against Bournemouth to score a brace against Southampton. The Swede has now scored a staggering 17 goals in the Premier League this season.
Shearer was gobsmacked at Isak’s second goal – he controlled Jacob Murphy’s pass exceptionally before slotting into the bottom corner.
Toon midfielder Sandro Tonali scored his first Premier League goal since his debut in 2023 with a calm finish thanks to a lovely flick-on by Anthony Gordon.
Shearer named his Team of the Week for the Premier League which included both Tonali and Isak. In comparison, Troy Deeney snubbed Tonali but named Isak.
On Tonali’s inclusion, Shearer said: “He was the driving force in the Newcastle midfield and took his goal superbly.”
Shearer highlighted how close Isak is in the Golden Boot race, he said: “Just unstoppable at the moment. Another two goals, and he’s now only two behind Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot.”
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Absent Newcastle man returned against Southampton
The win for Newcastle was not the only major positive to come out of the game on Saturday. Nick Pope made his return to the matchday squad following a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Pope had originally been scheduled to be out for around a month. Instead, the shot-stopper missed seven weeks of football due to the problem.
A silver lining for Howe was that Martin Dubravka played excellently in his absence, keeping five clean sheets.
There is a chance that Pope could be benched for the game against Fulham before returning to the starting XI, but Howe will be keen to field his best possible team in another difficult game.
Pope himself will be keen to return to the starting XI after so long out. Before his injury, he made 15 Premier League appearances, keeping three clean sheets.
