Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur: Alexander Isak 'best all

TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist has branded Alexander Isak as "the best all-around centre forward" in the Premier League currently.

The Newcastle forward has found his scoring on Tyneside, netting 12 goals in the league so far this season, behind only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.

The Swede has scored in six consecutive games, including in an away win against Manchester United at the end of 2024 and a hat-trick against Ipswich nine days before that.

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His performances have been key in Eddie Howe's side storming to fifth in the table, just three points shy of Chelsea in the top four.

Speaking alongside Les Ferdinand ahead of The Magpies' visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, McCoist said that Isak is the current Premier League striker he would most like to partner with.

"Isak. I’ll take it a step further, I think Isak might be the best all-around centre forward in the league at this moment," the Scotsman declared.

"I just like the style of his play. I think he gets in behind. I think he’s all-around, I think he holds the ball up well. He gets all sorts of finishes. I think he can come short; he spins in behind. He’s just a very, very intelligent player."

McCoist added that the Newcastle talisman's ability to involve himself in build-up play and his variation of finishing sets him aside from Manchester City star Haaland.

"You look at somebody like Haaland, if he doesn’t get service, sometimes he’s anonymous. Whereas Isak will always give you something. Haaland can finish as well as anybody, if not the best on the planet, but in an all-round game, Isak is unstoppable. And the variation in the goals he’s scored, he scores tap-ins, he’ll run through.

"He’s one of those centre forwards at this moment in time, if you see him go one-on-one with the goalkeeper, you fancy him."

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Ferdinand agreed and offered his thoughts on why the 25-year-old has become so essential for Eddie Howe's side this season, as their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League have drastically improved.

"I think he's now settled," said Ferdinand, who scored 50 goals in 84 games for Newcastle.

"He's had some time in the Premier League and when he first came in there were a few injury issues, in and out of the side.

"But this season he's managed to get in the side and stay in it, and now we’re seeing the goals. We always knew he was a quality player, it was just about adapting to the Premier League.

"I think he's done that and Newcastle are reaping the rewards of that now."

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Spurs welcome a Newcastle side on a tear to north London as Ange Postecoglou's team sit 11th in the table.

They have won just once since their 4-0 decimation of Manchester City on November 23 and will be ripe for Isak and Newcastle to pick up yet another win.

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