Newcastle produced a stunning first-half display, scoring four goals in just 11 minutes, to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest, keeping their Champions League qualification hopes alive with the dramatic home win.
Forest struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute through Callum Hudson-Odoi, who capitalized on a mistake by Jacob Murphy to fire a shot into the net from outside the box. However, Newcastle quickly responded. In the 23rd minute, Lewis Miley scored a low equalizer on his first Premier League start of the season. Just two minutes later, Murphy redeemed himself for his earlier error, bundling home the Magpies’ second goal to complete the turnaround.
The momentum continued to swing in Newcastle’s favor when they were awarded a penalty after VAR intervened, with referee Jarred Gillett reviewing an Ola Aina handball. Alexander Isak stepped up to confidently convert the spot-kick in the 33rd minute, and just 111 seconds later, Isak struck again, coolly finishing a one-on-one opportunity to double his tally. The goal marked his 50th Premier League goal in just 76 appearances, making him one of the fastest to reach that milestone in the competition’s history. His brace also brought his league tally for the season to 19 goals, with only Mohamed Salah of Liverpool (24) scoring more.
After such a blistering first half, Newcastle seemed to ease off in the second half, failing to register a shot on target. This allowed Forest to gain a foothold, and in the 63rd minute, Nikola Milenkovic pulled one back for the visitors with a hooked finish. Then, in the dying seconds, Ryan Yates scored a low strike in the 90th minute, setting up a tense finish, but Forest couldn’t find a dramatic equalizer.
Despite a nervy ending, Newcastle held on for the win, moving up to fifth place in the Premier League and drawing level on points with fourth-placed Manchester City. For Forest, the defeat meant a third consecutive away loss, their first such run since December 2023, leaving them with just a three-point buffer above Newcastle in third place.
