Newcastle United, already on a winless streak of 3 PL matchdays, now has had 4 games without a win, as they faltered to Brighton, 0-1, in their recent PL clash. However, while considering the form Fabian Hurzeler's side had been in, it was clear that the Magpies club won't have an easy outing, but the way they have dropped off points would certainly hurt them.
Sky Sports points out £63 million star forward for Newcastle's loss to Brighton
As has been the case with Newcastle's forward line this season, with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy being out of form, the side's goal-scarce continued once again, as they had their 22-match record of scoring at home broken at St. James. Like their previous outing against Everton, Eddie Howe's side looked awful in the final third, poor on finishing chances that came their way.
Although the Magpies club received a major boost with star forward Alexander Isak's return to the starting XI, the Swedish international didn't look comfortable either in finishing chances. While returning from a gruesome toe injury, which saw him sidelined for 3 games, Isak would have wanted a smooth start; any such hopes were tarnished as the forward was himself found guilty of missing a couple of brilliant opportunities.
In fact, the 25-year-old Swedish international was pinpointed by Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison as one of the reasons behind Newcastle's loss. Speaking about the club's overall performance and Isak's display in the final third, Morrison mentioned,
"“Newcastle did play well. They created loads of opportunities. Isak is only just coming back into the team; he didn’t look as sharp as you have seen him previously.""Clinton Morrison
So far this season, one of the biggest concerns for manager Eddie Howe has been the poor form of the club's big names. While definitely, their recent few outings saw star players like Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton return to form, the rough patch of their front three has been concerning. With Anthony Gordon on two goals and Isak having a single one to his name, much would depend on these two forwards' form return if the club has to keep their top-4 hopes alive.