While Nick Woltemade celebrated a beautiful Newcastle United goal, Alexander Isak’s Liverpool struggles continued this weekend.
The Swedish striker is yet to score in the Premier League for his new club, with Alexander Isak underperforming yet again in Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.
24 hours earlier, Nick Woltemade was continuing his incredible start to life in English football. Woltemade scored a beautiful goal away to Brighton, producing an outrageous flick to net his fifth of the season.
However, it was all for nothing as Newcastle United lost to Brighton.
Nick Woltemade runs off to celebrate after finding the net in Newcastle United's Premier League defeat to Brighton.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Nick Woltemade would swap beautiful Newcastle United goal for three points
With five goals in eight games, Woltemade is surprising everyone at Newcastle United.
However, he would happily only have four goals to his name if it meant his side had beaten Brighton on Saturday.
That is what the 23-year-old told BBC Radio Newcastle when he was asked to talk about his audacious strike at the Amex Stadium.
“It was a good goal,” he said.
“But I would like to switch it for the three points. That’s football.”
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That kind of attitude will delight the Toon Army, who know they have a striker who is only focused on winning as opposed to individual achievement.
Woltemade is clearly a team player. While he obviously wants to score goals, as seen by the Champions League penalty dispute, he always wants what is best for Newcastle United.
That is reflected in the way he plays, dropping off deep and creating space for his teammates. It is also reflected in his words, with Woltemade showing no interest in discussing what really was a ridiculous goal.
How Nick Woltemade’s start at Newcastle United compares to Alexander Isak’s
Incredibly, Woltemade has started his Newcastle United career more brightly than Isak did when he moved to Tyneside in 2022.
He became Newcastle’s most expensive signing when he arrived from Real Sociedad for £63million, and he enjoyed a fast start to life in black and white. He scored on his Toon debut, just like Woltemade.
In his first eight Newcastle United appearances, Isak only scored three goals. Woltemade has eclipsed that tally, bagging five.
Woltemade’s first eight Newcastle games Isak’s first eight Newcastle games
Five goals scored Three goals scored
Zero assists One assist
The Germany international has highlighted the benefit of momentum, as it took Isak a long time to make eight Newcastle United appearances.
Three games into his Toon career, he was struck down by a thigh injury. After arriving in August, he did not make his eighth Newcastle United appearance until 24th January 2023.
In contrast, Woltemade is yet to endure any fitness issues. That is despite suffering cramp within an hour of his Magpies debut.
But Woltemade is getting up to speed with the demands of English football, with the Brighton defeat the first time he has not been substituted.
As for Isak, he is yet to get up to speed in a Liverpool shirt.