Newcastle United have slid from the top four to the chasing pack in the Premier League, but Alexander Isak’s personal performances have improved substantially over the last year.
Alexander Isak has dismissed speculation that he may become the first Newcastle United player since Alan Shearer to score 20 or more goals in a Premier League season.
The Sweden international insists he is not the type of player who constantly monitors his goal total or chases records. Isak needs five more to get 20, while Shearer scored 22 in 2003/04.
When asked about breaking records ahead of the game against Fulham, Isak said: “I’m satisfied with my goal tally. I usually summarize the season when it’s ended.I know it’s interesting for you (journalists), but I don’t give it much thought; I just try to keep scoring and see where I finish up at the end of the season. I was thrilled to score against Everton; it was a terrific goal that came at the right time. We had some nice opportunities after that to expand our lead.”
Isak scored 10 goals for Newcastle in his first season, helping them finish fourth, but he is on track to double that total this season, with 19 already. His own personal performances have been up there with the best, but an injury hit team have struggled for form.
When asked about the main difference between the two campaigns, Isak told Chronicle Live, “It’s difficult to say. Of course, injuries and other issues have made player availability problematic. It has not been easy; it is difficult to say.”
Newcastle travel to Fulham after a 1-1 draw with Everton, in which a late penalty incident involving Paul Dummett hauling back Ashley Young cost United dearly.
Isak commented, “It feels like we lost two points against Everton. We had many chances to win the game, so we’re disappointed, but we’ll get another chance (to win) in a few days. There are prospects for us to enter Europe. Three points against Everton would have been ideal, but we got another point and are still ascending. We understand that we must win many games to get where we want to go, and that begins on Saturday.”
Newcastle have already defeated Fulham 2-0 in the FA Cup this season at Craven Cottage, and they have fond memories of thumping the Cottagers 4-1 there last season.
