logo
Eddie Howe eyes swift resolution on Alexander Isak after Aston Villa stalemate

Eddie Howe eyes swift resolution on Alexander Isak after Aston Villa stalemate

India Todaya day ago
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has urged the club to resolve the uncertainty surrounding striker Alexander Isak as soon as possible. The Swedish forward was left out of the squad for the Magpies' Premier League opener against Aston Villa, which ended in a 0-0 draw at St James' Park on Saturday, August 16.Amid constant transfer speculation, Newcastle endured a poor pre-season without Isak, failing to secure a win. Speaking after the Villa match, Howe admitted the situation had been a distraction but praised his players for shutting out the noise and securing their first point of the campaign.advertisement'I hope it's resolved quickly, because it's news around us all the time,' Howe told TNT Sports. 'Players have managed to shut that out and perform. We have to continue to do that.'
The manager stressed that his comments reflected his personal view, not an official club stance, but he acknowledged that clarity over Isak's future would benefit everyone. 'We would like a resolution. When I say we, I'm talking about myself, ownership, the players — I think we need that clarity this season,' he said.Howe reiterated that the door remains open for Isak to stay but insisted the striker must make a decision soon. 'Any Premier League season is hard enough. You don't need distractions. Nothing's changed — the door is well and truly open. But he has to decide what he wants to do,' he added.Despite Villa playing with 10 men after Esri Konsa's red card, Newcastle lacked a cutting edge in attack, highlighting how much Isak's absence was felt. Howe admitted his quality could have made the difference but chose to focus on the players available. 'Of course, you're going to miss someone of Alex's calibre. But we just have to look at the players that are here and what they've given today,' he said.At just the start of the campaign, Newcastle now face a crucial decision — whether to convince Isak to commit or prepare for life without him.- Ends
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Premier League: Amorim's new-look United fall 0-1 to Arsenal at Old Trafford
Premier League: Amorim's new-look United fall 0-1 to Arsenal at Old Trafford

India Today

time2 hours ago

  • India Today

Premier League: Amorim's new-look United fall 0-1 to Arsenal at Old Trafford

It was an underwhelming start for Ruben Amorim's Manchester United as they fell 1-0 to Arsenal at Old Trafford in their Premier League 2025-26 season opener on Sunday, August 18. Despite enjoying large spells of possession, the Red Devils failed to make it count, while Arsenal capitalised on their one clear chance through a well-taken decisive moment arrived in the 13th minute when defender Ricardo Calafiori rose highest to head home from a corner. United's goalkeeper Altay Bayindir misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing the Italian to nod it into the net. The mistake will surely raise questions over Bayindir's place in the starting lineup, especially with Andre Onana available for selection but left on the bench by new attacking recruits, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, showed flashes of promise on their Premier League debuts. Cunha's pace on the wing troubled Arsenal at times, while Mbeumo linked play well, though both struggled to deliver a decisive final ball. In contrast, the striking options on both sides endured quiet evenings. Arsenal's Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, as well as United's forwards, were unable to impose themselves. Despite being the side dictating tempo for much of the contest, United lacked sharpness in the final third. They created half-chances but failed to truly test David Raya in the Arsenal goal. The Gunners, meanwhile, were content to sit deep after their opener, soaking up pressure and protecting their slender lead with disciplined match ended with United feeling they had let the game slip. Arsenal, while not at their fluent best, will be relieved to have ground out three points away from Amorim, however, the pressure will mount quickly. Backed heavily in the summer transfer window after last season's struggles, the Portuguese coach knows that results will be demanded immediately. United's fans, still scarred from a poor 2024-25 campaign, will expect a quick response when the team returns to action.- EndsMust Watch

Arsenal wins 1-0 at Man United as Chelsea held by Palace in Premier League opener
Arsenal wins 1-0 at Man United as Chelsea held by Palace in Premier League opener

New Indian Express

time3 hours ago

  • New Indian Express

Arsenal wins 1-0 at Man United as Chelsea held by Palace in Premier League opener

Arsenal kept at bay Manchester United's expensively assembled forward line and scored again from a set piece to win 1-0 in the marquee match in the opening round of the Premier League on Sunday. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori nodded in from close range in the 13th minute after United back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayındır — starting ahead of Andre Onana — flapped at the ball from a corner whipped in by Declan Rice. While Arsenal followed likely title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in claiming an opening-weekend victory, United fell to a loss that is all-to-familiar under Ruben Amorim following a woeful 15th-place finish last season by English soccer's fallen giant. United spent around 200 million pounds ($270 million) on revamping its attack in the offseason, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha starting the match and Benjamin Sesko coming off the bench in the second half. While the team played with a good intensity at Old Trafford, Arsenal's strong defense stood firm. 'For me, there was more sign of hope than what we got from the game,' United captain Bruno Fernandes said. Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres was substituted in the 60th minute in an underwhelming first competitive start for Arsenal, whose goal came from a familiar route with Mikel Arteta's team so imposing from set-piece situations in recent seasons. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Arsenal has scored 31 goals from corners — more than any other Premier League team, according to Opta, the league's statistics supplier. 'We know we could have lost the game but football is like this,' Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya said. 'Days like this is when the three points count.' Chelsea also failed to score in its opening league game, held 0-0 by Crystal Palace in its first competitive match as the club world champion. A month after stunning Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, Chelsea toiled at Stamford Bridge after a short preseason because of its exertions in the United States. Eze's farewell? Eberechi Eze has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham so the England midfielder might have been making his final appearance for Palace. He almost marked it with a goal. In the 13th minute, Eze smashed a direct free kick past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from the edge of the area but the goal was ruled out after a video review spotted an infringement by Palace captain Marc Guehi as he attempted to push aside Chelsea's Moises Caicedo in the defensive wall. The Premier League confirmed Guehi was standing less than one meter (yard) from the wall as the shot was taken, which is not allowed. Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, stars for Chelsea in the Club World Cup, were quiet. The hosts lacked intensity because they've only been back in training for a couple of weeks, while Palace has had a long preseason and was coming off beating Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield last weekend. Wood starts hot for Forest Nottingham Forest hit the ground running with a 3-1 win over Brentford, with striker Chris Wood, the team's top scorer last season with 20 goals, netting twice in the first half either side of a goal on debut by Dan Ndoye. Wood started quickly last season in the best goalscoring top-flight campaign of his career and he needed just five minutes to open his account this time round, making the most of a poor clearance at a corner to poke home a finish. Ndoye headed in a second in the 42nd minute and Wood rounded the goalkeeper in first-half stoppage time to stroke in a third. Igor Thiago converted a late penalty for a consolation for Brentford, which might struggle this season after selling star forward Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United and not having first-choice striker Yoane Wissa available. Wissa has been linked with a move to Newcastle. Jota tribute All matches on Sunday featured a period of silence before kickoff as a tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, the brothers who were killed in a car crash in Spain last month. Jota was a player for Liverpool at the time.

Soccer-Man United can beat anybody says Amorim after promising signs in defeat
Soccer-Man United can beat anybody says Amorim after promising signs in defeat

Hindustan Times

time4 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Soccer-Man United can beat anybody says Amorim after promising signs in defeat

By Lori Ewing HT Image MANCHESTER, England, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Manchester United lost to Arsenal in their opener on Sunday but Ruben Amorim remained full of optimism and said his rebuilt team can now beat anybody in the Premier League as the club try to put last season's woeful 15th-place finish behind them. Riccardo Calafiori headed home from an early corner to give Arsenal a 1-0 win, with a weak challenge from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir one of United's few mistakes on an afternoon that sent their fans home from Old Trafford feeling positive. "We have players to win any game in the Premier League," said Amorim, flashing a rare smile after the scowl he wore for most of last season. "We were more aggressive than last year. We went one against one all the game and we pressed high. We had quality with the ball." Close-season signings Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo injected pace and creativity into United's attack, with the ex-Wolves man, who had three shots on target, arguably the best player on the pitch. "We did a lot things right," Amorim said. "We were more aggressive and brave. In certain moments I think Bryan and Cunha helped a lot. We stuck to the plan even when the stadium was nervous, we continued to play the way we played and that will help us in the future. "(The fans) want that feeling again. We go to Old Trafford and we are not going to get bored. We need to win more than last season but they want to see something and feel something." United also looked more composed defensively than last term, but the error from their Turkish keeper begged the question about that position in Amorim's team. Arsenal's William Saliba backed into Bayindir, who feebly batted the ball with one hand into the path of Italian Calafiori for an easy close-range header. Amorim said United needed to match Arsenal's physicality on the corner. "If you can watch the goal, I think (players) are allowed to do a lot of things in the corners. We need to do the same," he said. "But when you touch that way the goalkeeper, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not to push players, or he chooses to push players and let the ball past. "But again, (it) is the rules. If he's allowed, we need to do the same thing." Bayindir was selected ahead of usual starter Andre Onana, who has had only three training sessions after recovering from injury. Onana made mistakes himself last season but Amorim shrugged off questions about any changes in that position. (Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store