It’s 13 goals in four Gameweeks for Newcastle United, who have rediscovered their attacking verve in December.
They were comfortable 4-0 winners over Ipswich Town on Saturday, with Alexander Isak (£8.9m) netting his first ever Premier League hat-trick.
Picking out the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points, we continue with our Gameweek 17 Scout Notes.
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ISAK AT “HIS VERY BEST LEVELS”
Newcastle have almost doubled their season tally for goals (13 of 27) in the last 18 days.
The Magpies always look a more potent attacking threat when Isak is fit and firing. It’s a two-way street, though, as the Swede needs those around him to be providing service – something that wasn’t always happening in the first few months of 2024/25.
“Early season, we weren’t [getting him into the game] and weren’t functioning particularly well for him. He plays a part in that as well, it is not one dimensional.
“We’ve seen in recent weeks the team functioning and performing better and giving him more ball around the box. Then it is about his natural ability taking over and he is playing with so much confidence now.
“I think we are seeing a return to his very best levels.” – Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak
It should be mentioned that Newcastle have just faced three of the worst defences in the league: Brentford, Leicester City and now Ipswich.
Ari Muric (£4.4m) and Jens Cajuste (£4.5m) even conspired to lay the ball on plate for Isak’s second goal.
The next three opponents should be more of a test, not that any of them are mid-90s AC Milan. Aston Villa, for instance, are without a clean sheet on the road all season. Isak also has five goals in four appearances against Tottenham Hotspur.
Hundreds of thousands of more FPL managers are already swooping for the Swede. We’ve already seen one price rise overnight and it could be that Isak even overtakes Erling Haaland (£14.9m) for FPL ownership by the time we get to Boxing Day.
SIX RETURNS IN THREE FROM MURPHY
These heavy winning margins come with an added bonus to FPL managers at this busy time of year. Having a big lead means Eddie Howe can take players off early and preserve them for the next Gameweek, rather than rotate his starting XI too much.
Isak, for instance, has been withdrawn before the 80th minute in all three competitive matches this week.
Jacob Murphy (£4.9m) has been substituted even earlier, around the hour mark, but not before doing some damage.
A superb goal was followed up by an arguably even better backheeled assist for Isak on Saturday. That was the third league game in a row in which he’s delivered two attacking returns.
So long as he keeps playing the way he is right now, a starting spot is his. All too often in the past, however, we’ve seen him been made the scapegoat after a poor performance and benched the following week. He’ll need to keep delivering week after week to stave off that threat.
Anthony Gordon (£7.2m) is generally safer for minutes, although even he was knackered enough to need a rest in Gameweek 15.
He’s another Magpie who is starting to slowly rediscover his swagger. Assisting Murphy’s goal here, he had a couple of decent back-post chances of his own. Those goals should come soon.
BRUNO MORE ADVANCED
Part of Howe’s restructure in recent weeks has seen Sandro Tonali (£5.5m) used as a ‘six’ and Bruno Guimaraes (£6.1m) pushed forward into an ‘eight’ role.
That advanced positioning was crucial to his assist at Portman Road, as he was high enough to dispossess Cajuste well inside his own area.
“The plan is that Sandro (Tonali) plays a little bit deeper than Joe Willock and Bruno (Guimaraes), but they are still given a freedom to express themselves and to move.
“It’s getting that balance right between the freedom and making sure the structure is right, and I think they got the balance perfect.” – Eddie Howe
He’s a tough sell at £6.1m, with several cheaper midfielders delivering the good elsewhere, but don’t be surprised to see attacking returns arrive with more regularity now. He should have scored on Saturday, indeed, but nodded a Lewis Hall (£4.6m) cross against the post.
DELAP MISSED
Ipswich hadn’t been beaten by more than one goal since Gameweek 8, two months ago.
This tonking came a little of the blue, then, even if Newcastle came into the game in fine fettle.
Jacob Greaves (£4.0m) owners will be hoping this rout spells the end of Cameron Burgess‘ (£4.0m) spell in the side, although he had been in good form prior to Gameweek 17.
Whether you’d want a piece of a backline that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in 13 league matches is another question.
The Tractor Boys were toothless up front without the suspended Liam Delap (£5.6m). Sammie Szmodics (£5.8m) instead led the line, wasting the only real good opportunity that the hosts got when firing straight at Martin Dubravka (£4.2m).
Delap will return in Gameweek 18.
