Newcastle United climbed back into the Premier League‘s top four with a resilient 3-1 victory over struggling Southampton at St Mary’s.
The Saints, rooted to the bottom of the table and now 11 points adrift of safety, took a surprise lead when Jan Bednarek headed in James Bree’s cross. However, Newcastle turned the tide thanks to Alexander Isak’s superb double, followed by Sandro Tonali’s second-half strike.
Eddie Howe’s side initially looked sluggish after last week’s 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth, and Southampton capitalized early, with Bednarek’s header giving Ivan Juric’s men hope of an upset.
But the in-form Isak turned the game around in a four-minute blitz before halftime. After winning and converting a penalty following Joe Aribo’s foul, the Swedish striker curled home a second moments later from Jacob Murphy’s precise pass.
The Magpies carried their momentum into the second half, with Tonali scoring Newcastle’s third after a defensive lapse from Southampton. Murphy hit the post, and Isak was denied a hat-trick by Alex McCarthy, filling in for the injured Aaron Ramsdale.
Southampton briefly thought they had a lifeline when Matheus Fernandes found the net late on, but the goal was ruled out for offside, sealing another frustrating day for the Saints.
Isak’s brace takes his league tally to 17 goals for the season, second only to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (19). Newcastle now sit comfortably in the top four as they continue their push for Champions League qualification, while Southampton’s relegation struggles deepen.
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