Alexander Isak scored twice in a 12-minute, 4-goal blitz as Newcastle United beat Nottingham Forest 4-3 at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
Forest scored after just six minutes but Newcastle had it 4-1 by halftime as Isak was joined on the score sheet by Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy.
WATCH- Newcastle v Nottingham Forest full match replay
Nikola Milenkovic and Ryan Yates scored in the second half in a grandstand finish on Tyneside.
Newcastle move into fifth place with 44 points, behind Man City on goal differential, while Forest fail to close ground on second place Arsenal.
The Tricky Trees’ 47 points have them third, 14 points behind Liverpool prior to Sunday’s big scrap between Man City and Liverpool.
Newcastle, Forest ‘get it’ as top-four hunger on display
We’ve said it many times this season and Sunday’s seven-goal fantasy at St. James’ Park was a tremendous illustration of the opportunities available to so many Premier League teams with a top-four picture not even close to decided as the campaign his the final dozen or so games. The gap between 10th and fourth place is just five points and third-place Forest is just three points above that mess. Only two spots are close to settled and all of this is happening with traditional powers Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United not even sniffing the top-seven picture. Both Newcastle and Forest showed urgency coming off losses, and it’s easy to see that top-four nerves (Newcastle) and hunger (Forest) were front-of-mind as the Tricky Trees did anything but shrink into the shadows and prepare to fight another day. These three points may be those that keep one side over another, and the season sweep by Newcastle is massive to their season hopes. With 10 teams fighting for 4-5 spots, expect a lot more matches with these implications. And if both sides show up with the sort of fire we saw Sunday, then tune into all of those fixtures.
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Newcastle go to Liverpool at 3:15pm ET Wednesday, then host Brighton early Sunday in the FA Cup’s fifth round..
Forest host Arsenal at 2:30pm Wednesday and stay at home for Ipswich Town in the FA Cup on Monday, March 3.
How to watch Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 9 am ET Sunday
Venue: St. James’ Park — Newcastle
TV Channel: USA Network
Streaming: Watch live online via NBC.com
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest final score: 4-3
Callum Hudson-Odoi 6', Lewis Miley 22', Jacob Murphy 26', Alexander Isak pen 32', 34', Nikola Milenkovic 64', Ryan Yates 90'
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest live updates — By Nick Mendola
Ryan Yates goal — Newcastle 4-3 Nottingham Forest (90th minute)
Not done yet! Yates cleans up a poorly-cleared Newcastle chance and this remains in the balance heading into three minutes of stoppage time.
Newcastle subs
Forest have been controlling the second half and Eddie Howe has relented in the 70th minute.
Murphy and Willock exit in favor of Harvey Barnes and Sandro Tonali.
Nikola Milenkovic goal — Newcastle 4-2 Nottingham Forest (64th minute)
Really good from the center back here!
A pair of ex-Newcastle players are involved here, as Elliot Anderson’s corner kick is slapped back across goal by Chris Wood.
Nikola Milenkovic knifes the ball over the line with the outside of his right leg.
Halftime — Newcastle United 4-1 Nottingham Forest
Forest had, really, one moment and scored a very good goal.
The rest has been all Magpies, who are on 72% possession with a 10-5 shots edge and an xG advantage of 2.94-0.25.
Alexander Isak goal — Newcastle 4-1 Forest (34th minute)
Joe Willock leads a rush and does well to set up Isak, who still has work to do and grounds a shot that turns off Milenkovic and bounds into the goal.
Alexander Isak penalty goal — Newcastle 3-1 Forest (32nd minute)
The Swede goes to the spot and slams home his 18th goal of the Premier League season, a central hit not fooling former Newcastle keeper Matz Sels but getting over the line anyway.
VAR reviewing possible Newcastle penalty
Lewis Hall whips in a cross and it slams into the nearly-tucked elbow of a leaping, turning Ola Aina.
It’s going to be a penalty, and it’s harsh.
Jacob Murphy goal — Newcastle 2-1 Forest (26th minute)
What a counterattack from the Magpies.
Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon start it and Hall just keeps going, reaping the rewards of a clever Alexander Isak back heel to chop a pass that deflects into the air toward the far post.
Jacob Murphy is there and gets a thigh on it for his fifth goal of the season.
Quite a first half, and a deserved 2-1 lead for the hosts.
Lewis Miley goal — Newcastle 1-1 Forest (22nd minute)
Newcastle win a controversial free kick and make the most of it with some real hunger after not getting a chance off the first ball.
It winds up with Lewis Miley, and the teenager drills a low shot through traffic, in, around, and between a sea of legs to level the score at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle dominance off by fine margins
Forest’s goal came off Newcastle’s only significant mistake, as the Magpies only early errors have been in the final third.
It’s been a mostly dominant first 14 minutes, though of course Forest are very comfortable defending deep.
Callum Hudson-Odoi goal — Newcastle 0-1 Forest (6th minute)
A bad mistake, and a great finish.
Jacob Murphy loses the ball and there’s a lot to do for Callum Hudson-Odoi to make the most of it, which he very much does to make it 1-0.
Hudson-Odoi’s shot glides to the right of Nick Pope, who seemed slow to react and made the shot look even better.
Newcastle United lineup
Pope, Hall, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Guimaraes, Miley, Willock, Gordon, Murphy, Isak
Nottingham Forest lineup
Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi, Wood
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest preview — By Andy Edwards
Both sides really hit their strides in December and January, as the Magpies went 6W-2L between Dec. 7 and Jan. 18, and the Tricky Trees did them one better at 7W-1D-0L. Since then, though, just three points from a possible nine for each side as Bournemouth combined to put nine goals past them in a pair of resounding victories that kept a whole host of teams in the top-four (of maybe five) race when they might have otherwise fallen away. Heading into Matchweek 26, four points is all that separates Bournemouth in 5th (expected to be a UCL place) and Aston Villa in 9th. Nottingham Forest (47 points) are four points clear of the Cherries in 3rd, while Newcastle (41 points) are two spots and points back in 7th.
2024-25 could be an all-time memorable season for each of them, as Newcastle are in the final of the League Cup and chasing the club’s first trophy in 70 years (1955 FA Cup); meanwhile, Forest are closing in on European qualification for the first time in 30 years (1994-95) and their first foray into Europe’s top competition since 1979-80. Two massively historic clubs, somewhat fallen on hard times in recent years decades, with so much at stake over the next three months — beginning with Sunday’s head-to-head showdown.
Newcastle team news, focus
OUT: Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Joelinton (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Sven Botman (knee)
Nottingham Forest team news, focus
OUT: Carlos Miguel (thigh), Taiwo Awoniyi (head)
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest prediction
Again, both sides are at their best when playing a counter-attacking game thanks to two of the PL’s top scorers this season — Chris Wood for Forest (18 goals, 3rd-most) and Alexander Isak for Newcastle (17, 4th-most) Talent advantage: Magpies. System and discipline advantage: Forest. We’re splitting hairs here. Newcastle 2-2 Nottingham Forest.
