Newcastle's 2024/25 campaign had been very disappointing, and the recent loss against Chelsea had added to the already growing concerns. Although being backed by an excellent record against the Magpies, it was certain that Chelsea wouldn't be any easy for Newcastle, and the way the side has dropped points feels significantly hurtful.
£63 million star found guilty of letting Newcastle down against Chelsea
So far this season, neither of the components has been convincing for Newcastle, but their problems upfront have been grave. Be it the game against Everton, their disappointing loss against Brighton, or this recent fixture loss to Chelsea, poor finishing has been the root cause of Magpies' problems throughout the campaign. However, what feels much more worrying is the fact that this time, the club's highest transfer fee player was at the maximum fault, being the reason for the loss.
Although Eddie Howe's side had been waiting for star forward Isak to return after his injury soon, the player's return seems to have influenced them for all the wrong reasons. On the back of a sensational 2023/24 campaign, Isak has just been a shadow of his previous heroics for Newcastle in the season. Delivering a disappointing performance on his return against Brighton and now this poor display against Chelsea, Isak's form has been a major concern for the club.
While some may argue that in their recent outing against Chelsea, Isak was the only goalscorer for the side, sadly, he turned out to be the biggest reason for their loss as well. In the 75th minute, Isak had arguably the best chance to equalize the scores, grabbing a crucial point for Newcastle; however, unexpected selfishness had the massive opportunity wasted.
The ball coming on straight after a little touch from a Chelsea defender had Isak in a 1-1 situation with Robert Sanchez. Brilliantly, the forward had the Chelsea keeper on the ground; however, what he did afterward cost Newcastle the game. In the attempt, Isak had reached much wide of the goal and had very few possibilities of aiming from there, but fortunately, he had Joelinton clear to put in an open goal. But Isak decided to take the opportunity himself, only to get the ball ultimately cleared by Moises Caicedo.
Clearly, given the situation this potential goal could have put Newcastle in, Isak proved to be the biggest reason for them losing on a claimable crucial point. Already struggling so far in the season, this miss would surely take a toll on the star forward, who became the decisive factor for all the wrong reasons. Newcastle fans would hope that the player returns to his top form soon, as with each game passing by, their chances of a top-4 PL finish seems dwindling.