Soccer

Alexander Isak stretches scoring run to eighth games as Newcastle hammer Wolves

No bounce for Everton on return of David Moyes as Villa win at Goodison; Palace hand Leicester a sixth straight league defeat

Newcastle United's Alexander Isak scores his side's first goal during the Premier League match against Wolves at at St James' Park/. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak scores his side's first goal during the Premier League match against Wolves at at St James' Park/. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Wed Jan 15 2025 - 21:51
Newcastle United 3 Wolves 0

Alexander Isak scored for the eighth Premier League game in a row with a brace of goals as Newcastle United eased to a 3-0 home victory over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James’ Park on Wednesday.

Anthony Gordon netted the third as Newcastle moved into fourth place with 38 points from 21 games. Wolves remain in the relegation zone with 16 points from the same number of matches.

Only four players have scored in eight successive Premier League matches, with Isak joining Jamie Vardy and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who both did it twice, and Daniel Sturridge, as the Swede took his tally for the season to 15 in the top flight.

Wolves had some bright moments and a goal by Santiago Bueno was disallowed for a handball, while they also struck the woodwork twice through Jorgen Strand Larsen. But their defending remains an Achilles heel in a season of struggle.

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Everton 0 Aston Villa 1

The second coming of David Moyes failed to inspire Everton as they lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa and, though they might not need a miracle to avoid relegation, the returning manager will at least have to find a way for them to score.

Villa had lost their last five away games in the league but were by far the better team at Goodison Park, creating several good chances before Ollie Watkins slotted in what proved the decisive goal after 51 minutes following a neat pass from Morgan Rogers.

Moyes, back at the club he left in 2013 after the sacking of Sean Dyche last week, got a close-up view of the massive challenge he faces as Everton struggled for accuracy and ideas all night to make it one win in 12 league games, during which time they have failed to score in nine of them.

That drought never looked like lifting on Wednesday and they remain two places and one point above the relegation zone, while Villa move up to seventh, level on points with Manchester City.

Leicester City 0 Crystal Palace 2

Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi struck in the second half as Crystal Palace won 2-0 at Leicester and condemned the Foxes to a sixth straight Premier League defeat.

Boos rang around the King Power Stadium at full-time after a result that left Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side still two points from safety.

Leicester had produced a rare display of dominance in the first half but went into the break goalless despite having 11 shots, although Mateta had squandered a glorious chance to put the away side in front.

And it only took seven second-half minutes for Palace to click into gear as Mateta made amends for his miss, before Guehi wrapped up the points for Palace with 12 minutes left.