· April 3 2025, 12:30
**Newcastle United picked up the three points they needed to keep the pressure on in the race for Champions League football when Brentford came to St James' Park last night.**
Goals from Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali were enough to see off the challenge of a spirited Brentford side who needed the help of Nick Pope conceding a penalty to breach the Newcastle defence.
Newcastle created many good chances but weren't able to take them for whatever reason.
Alexander Isak looked off all night, and even though he managed to dance through the Brentford defence as if they were holograms, he seemed terrified of shooting.
Alexander Isak looked scared of having a shot against Brentford
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After skinning the entire Brentford back line all Isak had to do was pull the trigger and he'd have scored, but instead he dinked it over to Harvey Barnes who gratefully nodded home, but the linesman's flag was up straight away.
That wasn't the only incident of Isak failing to shoot at the right time and it was becoming quite a concern.
After the game, Eddie Howe admitted that Isak wasn't 100% on the night which might have explained things.
Alexander Isak was taken out of harm's way in the second half
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Indeed, Eddie Howe took the decision to take Isak out of the game quite early in the second half giving Callum Wilson a bit of time to try and get his first Premier League goal of the season.
Thankfully, it sounds like Isak's niggling injury isn't too bad as Howe told [The Chronicle](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/key-newcastle-united-trio-hurt-31339645) his withdrawal was more precautionary than necessary.
> "I think on another day he would have scored more, but I don’t think he was 100 per cent. That’s why we withdrew him.
>
> "We hope it’s nothing too serious, but he just wasn’t feeling 100 per cent in his groin. He was just a little bit unsure in his movement, so that’s why we withdrew him."