Howe hails Newcastle’s ‘ruthless’ Isak after VAR drama in Brighton draw

Eddie Howe lauded Alexander Isak’s “ruthless mentality” after Newcastle’s luck from the penalty spot turned at the third time of asking and they rescued a 1-1 draw away to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Sweden striker Isak scored his 23rd league goal of the season two minutes from time on the south coast, with the point bolstering the visitors’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.   

Newcastle fell behind to a first-half goal from Yankuba Minteh, a former Magpie, and then had two penalty awards overturned by VAR before Isak’s late leveller from the spot.

Craig Pawson, the match referee, initially reversed his decision when replays showed Anthony Gordon was fouled just outside the box by Tariq Lamptey before doing the same again following a dive by Joe Willock.

Isak, the first Newcastle player since club great Alan Shearer in 2002 to reach 23 Premier League goals, was preparing to take the spot-kick on both occasions.

“I’ve not been there myself, so I can’t put myself in his shoes,” Newcastle manager Howe said of Isak.

“But I can only imagine the process he is going through and then he has to stop, and that’s why he did very well because it would be very, very easy to miss that moment. But he didn’t.”

Howe added: “He’s got that ruthless mentality to scoring goals. And that’s where you really lean on those type of players. To have the coolness of mind to just take a step back and go, ‘right, this is what I need to do’ and deliver it for the team.

“It was a brilliant penalty in a big moment because we needed something from the game. Losing the game would have dented us.”

Isak was on target following another lengthy VAR check after Brighton substitute Yasin Ayari was punished for handling Fabian Schar’s free-kick.

The result meant Newcastle, who earlier this season won their first major domestic trophy in 70 years when they lifted the League Cup, ended the day in fourth spot, three points clear of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest.

But with the Premier League’s top five qualifying for the Champions League this season, Forest will draw level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea, with three games remaining, if they win away to Crystal Palace on Monday.