AFTER the fallout of failing to land a club-record signing last week, it was left to the fella who retains that tag to remind folk why keeping him is Newcastle’s smartest piece of business. Tottenham were desperately unlucky not to win, but they did not have a striker. Newcastle did, and Alexander Isak was the difference here.

The £63million Swede was not at his best and was not enjoying a particularly good afternoon. But he was there to score the winning goal, there in the six-yard area, there to bring calm after the most turbulent summer of Saudi ownership.

And the fact Isak is there is the reason Newcastle can stay around the top four this season, even if seven points from an unbeaten start does not tally with performances lacking the intensity that had become their signature under Eddie Howe. Their signature right now is a pretty unsightly scribble, but it is paying the cheques.

This was a timely win, too, with the Saudi hierarchy in town. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan sat between chief executive Darren Eales and new sporting director Paul Mitchell, the transfer team who could not deliver £70m Marc Guehi after a drawn-out pursuit. Howe spoke on Friday of not having the window the club wanted or needed. Al-Rumayyan’s presence had the feel of a school inspection.

But the governor would have at least left happy with the result, especially against opposition who have perhaps done more than most, off the field, to lobby for rules slowing Newcastle’s progress since the 2021 takeover. On the pitch, however, they have been ever so accommodating, a 10-1 cumulative score over the last two seasons at St James’ Park. This was not as easy as those games, but for all that Newcastle found a way to win, Spurs also found a way to lose.

Alexander Isak scored a 78th-minute goal against run-of-play to earn Newcastle three points

Ange Postecoglou wore a hangdog expression afterwards, and the truth is his team were all bark and no bite. Twenty efforts on goal, just six on target. He tried Dejan Kulusevski and then Son Heung-min at centre-forward, but neither of them are Harry Kane. Neither of them are Isak. Neither of them ever looked like scoring here, and neither were there to turn in a string of balls fizzed through the goalmouth. Isak was. 

And so, when Newcastle broke upfield on 78 minutes with the score at 1-1 and Tottenham the better team, there was an inevitability to the visitors being punished. Joelinton muscled free of James Maddison and sprung Jacob Murphy free. He could have shot but instead squared for Isak. It was a simple finish, but simple goals are worth just the same as complicated. And after a complex week in which questions have been asked of the club’s off-field operations, there is no underestimating the power of this win.

‘When there are difficult moments - and this transfer window has been tough for us - it is even more important,’ said Howe. ‘It allows us to see things clearly and move forward with positive momentum.’

This had felt like the sort of boisterous occasion Newcastle needed. Noise, wind, rain, irritation in the air. Even the floodlights were on from the off and the hosts made an illuminating start. Not quite the start of two seasons ago, when they led 3-0 inside nine minutes. But they were front foot, aggressive and pulsing forward to the beat of the crowd.

Isak bullied Son out of possession in the fifth minute and, with a cute shot from a narrow angle, clipped the crossbar. Harvey Barnes then shaved the post with a trademark curler after cutting inside and it needed a goalmouth block to deny defender Emil Krafth an unlikely goal.

It was all going so well until injury struck. It wasn’t a Newcastle player, this time. Rather, assistant referee Ian Hussin pulled up with a muscle complaint and a stoppage of around five minutes broke home momentum and, seemingly, concentration. When the game restarted, Newcastle’s control had shifted to Tottenham. They were still in control when Newcastle took the lead on 37 minutes.

Dan Burn would usually be on the end of a throw-in, but here it was his quick release from the left that put Lloyd Kelly clear. He drew back for Barnes and the winger’s first-time finish had enough fade to carry it beyond the dive of Guglielmo Vicario.

Did it spark a home improvement? Not really. After that bright start, the lights were still out. Howe and assistant Jason Tindall were already deep in discussion about changes when Spurs drew level on 56 minutes. Before that, in the minutes after half-time, Wilson Odobert and Pedro Porro both went close to equalising. In the end, it was Burn who put through his own net.

Nick Pope has been recalled to the England squad this week - and he went on to produce a string of brilliant saves - but his part in this goal was not international class. Maddison’s low shot should have been gathered instead of parried and, when Brennan Johnson followed up to stab back on goal, Pope’s arm kept it out only for Burn to hook in from the goal-line when attempting to clear.

The home goalkeeper then went a long way to redemption with flying saves from Maddison and Porro, and without them victory would not have been possible. Sandro Tonali came on for his first Premier League appearance after a 10-month betting ban, and he feels like a new signing for the club. He’ll have to be, given they have not brought in any others.

But keeping Isak was always likely to be their most significant act. Eales said earlier this year that every player has their price. For Newcastle right now, Isak is invaluable.

Nick Pope has been recalled to the England squad this week - and he went on to produce a string of brilliant saves - but his part in this goal was not international class. 

James Maddison’s low shot should have been gathered instead of parried and, when Brennan Johnson followed up to stab back on goal, Pope’s arm kept it out only for Burn to hook in from the goal-line. 

The Newcastle keeper then went a long way to redemption with flying saves from Maddison and Porro, and without them victory would not have been possible.