Is Isak the best striker in the Premier League?

As Alexander Isak’s remarkable goal streak continues, David Segar from Opta Analyst takes a closer look at why the Newcastle United striker has become arguably the best number 9 in the Premier League right now.

Alexandre Isak recently received her flowers.

The excellent form of Newcastle United has not gone unnoticed, with many experts lining up to lavish praise on it.

Last month, the former Real Sociedad player scored a division-high eight goals and also created the most chances from open play (19).

In fact, he became only the second Newcastle player to score eight Premier League goals in a month, after Callum Wilson did so in April 2023.

Isak has inevitably been linked with a move to some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent times, with some reports suggesting that Newcastle would expect at least £150 million from any potential suitor.

During Isak’s interview for Sky Sports Monday Night Football earlier this week, Jamie Carragher told the Swedish striker: “I absolutely adore you, I think you’re a fantastic player and if I had £150million I’d pay it to have you at any club… I think at the moment you are playing as well as any striker in Europe.

Carragher also said earlier in the show: “He’s the best striker in the Premier League right now… I don’t think it’s really close.”

Paul Merson also says Sky Sports News: “If I were Arsenal and I had the money to buy Isak, I would break the bank for him. I think he’s the best of the best. I think he takes Arsenal to another level.

Mohamed Salah leads the Premier League goalscoring charts this season with 17 goals, while Erling Haaland (14) also has more league goals than Isak’s 12 in 2024/25.

With Salah more of a wide striker and Haaland suffering a recent dip in form, however, it’s hard to dispute the idea that Isak is the best striker in England’s top flight at the moment.

The 25-year-old’s header to open the scoring at Newcastle 2-0 victory at Manchester United Monday marked six consecutive Premier League matches in which Isak had found the net.

Only Alan Shearer And Joe Willock (both seven) have scored in most consecutive matches for the club, and Isak could match them at Tottenham Hotspur SATURDAY.

Isak’s header against Man Utd

Of course, it’s not just recently that Isak has impressed. With his 25 goals in all competitions last season, he became the first Newcastle player to score 25 or more goals in a single campaign since Shearer in 2003/04 (28).

Isak has also scored 25 Premier League goals in total in 2024, the most for the Magpies in a calendar year since Shearer scored 27 times in 2002.

His goal against Man Utd was his 50th Premier League goal for the club (43 goals, seven assists) in just 69 matches, making Isak the third-fastest Newcastle player to reach that milestone behind only Andrew Cole (43 matches) and The Ferdinands (58 matches).

Since his arrival in August 2022, Isak has scored 48 goals in 87 matches for Newcastle in all competitions. Wilson (26) is the only other player to have scored more than 17 goals for the club during this period.

He also recently became the second Swedish player after Freddie Ljungberg (for Arsenal in Sunderland in May 2003) to score a hat-trick in the Premier League when he scored a hat-trick at Newcastle 4-0 victory at Ipswich Town.

Isak is tied for third in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot at mid-season, tied with Cole Palmer out of 12 goals, although Isak has made two fewer appearances than the Chelsea star (17 to 19).

Top scorers in the Premier League 24/25

Player	Matches	Goals
Mohamed Salah	18	17
Erling Haaland	19	14
Alexander Isak	17	12
Cole Palmer	19	12
Chris Wood	19	11
Bryan Mbeumo	19	11
Matheus Cunha	19	10

He has developed a reputation for being cool, calm and collected in front of goal, with a Premier League shot conversion rate of 22.6 percent this season, ahead of Haaland’s 17.7 percent and just below the 24.3 percent from Salah.

As you can see from his goal map below, he regularly finds himself in good positions to score. 10 of his 12 strikes in the Premier League this season have been within 10 yards of goal.

In fact, he scored on each of his 10 closest efforts to goal, while all but one of his 12 goals came on shots taken between the width of the posts and none were penalties.

He also scored in big matches. Isak found the net against Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Villa Aston and Man Utd among others this season.

But what makes him so appealing as a No.9 is the richness of his game. He’s just as capable of dribbling past multiple defenders as he is of finishing a flowing move with a poacher’s goal. But this latter capability should not be overlooked, and it is aided by the fact that it poses a very credible threat in the air.

Isak’s opening goal at Old Trafford last time out was his fourth headed goal in the Premier League this season, with no one else scoring more. Nottingham Forest Chris Wood He also has four headed goals, but he scored them in 10 attempts, two more than Isak’s eight.

Building on Isak’s wealth, he also seems to be improving as a creative influence. He has already created more chances from open play this season (34) than in any previous campaign for Newcastle, leading to four assists; never before had he managed more than two in a season in England.

Isak created an average of 0.9 chances per 90 minutes in each of his first two years on Tyneside, but that has risen to 2.0 this season.

It’s not just what he does with it the ball in the final third, however. Isak also does his fair share of work out of possession.

He has won possession of the ball in the opposition’s final third on 11 occasions in the Premier League this season, with AFC BournemouthIt is Evanilson (15) only central striker to have done it more often.

Likewise, only Kai Havertz (70), Tyrick Mitchell (100) and Dominique Solanke (114) have recorded more pressures resulting in a turnover than Isak’s 69 in the Premier League this season, while only Solanke has averaged more pressures in the final third resulting in a turnover per 90 (5.8) than Isak’s 3.4 (minimum of 1,000 minutes played). ).

While some central strikers can often drop in and out of matches, Isak is heavily involved. For example, he leads Newcastle in offensive sequence involvements in the league this season, with a total of 93.

There have been suggestions that previous injury problems could deter potential clubs from parting with the huge sums of money it would take to convince Newcastle to sell Isak, but in two and a half seasons at St James’ Park, he only had four periods with injury.

Isak suffered a thigh problem less than a month after signing for 2022/23, which kept him sidelined until January 2023. He ended up playing 27 times this season.

Last season he had two separate periods of absence due to a groin problem but still managed to rack up 40 appearances in all competitions and halfway through this season he has already made 20 appearances despite Newcastle not having European football like they did in 2023. /24.

He missed a month of action with a broken toe, but that hardly seems to indicate he’s injury-prone.

Isak has played a big part in the recent upturn in form for Eddie Howe’s men, which has seen them win their last four Premier League games, five in all competitions, and rise to fifth in the table at the end of the year.

Just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, Newcastle will absolutely consider themselves in the race for a top four finish, and if they can qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three years, there’s no reason to think that Isak will not stay. around the northeast for some time to come.

One thing is certain though: the rumors about a potential transfer will never go away as long as he scores the goals regularly.

Isak is certainly in the conversation when discussing the best strikers in the Premier League, and indeed the world. If he continues to play at this current level, his name will be impossible to ignore.

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