Newcastle United held on to an essential victory over Nottingham Forest, but Eddie Howe says that the second half of his party left the 4-3 victory as a defeat.
The hosts of Howe rose in a 4-1 lead in a chaotic first half, in which Alexander Isak scored twice, along with goals for Jacob Murphy and Lewis Miley, after the sixth minute opener of Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Nikola Milenkovic, however, withdrew one in the second period, before Ryan Yates' 90th minute strike came up a avoidable nervy-end.
Newcastle, however, survived the waves of the late pressure, but clinged for the victory to move the fifth in the Premier League table, only three points shy for forest.
Despite the crucial three points, Newcastle manager Howe was disappointed after a fascinating game on Sunday in St. James' Park.
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– Opta Analyst (@Optaanalyst) February 23, 2025
“It's a feeling that we have to remember. It feels like we've lost the game, but we won the game and got points about Nottingham Forest,” Howe told Sky Sports.
Newcastle has now won 13 of their last 16 games in all competitions (L3), which has started the most victories of each Premier League side since this run started on December 14.
However, it could have been a different story because Forest wanted a final fine for the challenge of Anthony Gordon from behind on Yates.
That would have marked a suitable end for a remarkable collision of top flight, although Howe was just happy that his side came across the line.
“Great to win. You have to remember that at the end. Crazy game, but that's why we think, I think,” he added.
“Two sides of us. The first half was excellent. A great reaction on going down. The second half was actually just that bad. We struggled to get a grip at the momentum when it turned against us.
“At our best we are quite running, an attacking team, dynamic. You saw the best of us in the second half.
“My brain goes to the second half. We were not perfect. On a quick response, that's what I will say.”
1 – Alexander Isak is now the leading Swedish scorer in the Premier League history, as a result of which Freddie Ljungberg's total of 48 catches up. Ikea. https://t.co/5WZUAQIFN6
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Isak's double saw him go to 50 Premier League goals in just 76 performances; Only six players once hit half a century faster in the history of the competition.
His first came from the penalty place after VAR had rated that Ola Aina had treated the cross of Lewis Hall, the Swedish striker who had overtaken the Spot-Kick past Matz Sels, who got a hand in the middle.
The second Isak strike came after the excellent pass from Joe Willock, with the deflection of Murillo that helped Beyond Sels and the Newcastle made the highest score of Sweden ever in the history of the competition.
“It's huge and if he plays the way he did in the first half, he is huge for us,” said Howe about Isak on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He showed his pace and the timing of the run was excellent. Big player.”
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