Eddie Howe wants to keep ‘world class’ Alexander Isak at Newcastle

Newcastle fans who made the long journey from the north-east to Suffolk were rewarded immediately, as Isak needed just 26 seconds to score first, pouncing on a loose ball after Jacob’s pass. Murphy from the right wing was not blocked.

Murphy added a second, before Isak was awarded his second and Newcastle’s third just before half-time. Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric tried to pass to Jens Cajuste, who lost control of the ball to Bruno Guimaraes, and Isak had the simple task of scoring.

He didn’t have to wait long for his hat-trick, producing a powerful finish at the near post after another assist from Murphy.

“Alex is a world-class talent,” Howe added. “The way he scores goals, he has a coolness and composure that very few people have. When you add in his technical skills, I think he has it all.

“He has unique skills and the challenge is to get him into the game as much as possible. At the beginning of the season we didn’t do that, but now the team is performing much better.

“He’s a really confident player and we’re seeing a return to his really best form – that’s shown in the goals he scores.”