Newcastle United have boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest. Alexander Isak scored in both halves to help the Magpies come from behind and grab the three points.
The visitors had the better of the early exchanges, but Forest made the breakthrough after 26 minutes when Emmanuel Dennis chipped the ball over the Newcastle keeper. However, the visitors equalized in first-half stoppage time when Isak scored an outrageous finish to make it 1-1 at the break.
The second half saw both sides have chances to take the lead, with Forest substitute Elliot Anderson having a goal ruled out by the VAR for offside. Before a dramatic late turn when Moussa Niakhate handled in the penalty box in stoppage time, the game seemed to be headed for a draw.
Isak then went up to calmly convert the penalty and gave the Magpies the victory. The victory moves Newcastle to within a point of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the Champions League spots, and Steve Bruce was delighted with the performance of his team.
Isak’s double was a huge factor in the result, and the Swedish striker now has nine goals for the season. For Forest, the result was a bitter pill to swallow as they had looked good for a point until the late penalty.
They remain 14th in the table, two points above the drop zone, although they have now played a game more than four of the six clubs below them. It was a tense affair, with both teams creating chances, but ultimately, Newcastle got the job done.
Their Champions League hopes have been given a significant boost, and they hope to build on this result when they face Manchester United on 2nd April 2023. For Forest, the focus will be putting together a run of results to see them move away from the relegation zone. They have the quality in their squad to do so and will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they face Wolves on 1st April 2023.