Woltemade’s wonderful debut helps Newcastle move on from Alexander Isak with win over woeful Wolves | OneFootball

Newcastle tasted victory for the first time this season as Nick Woltemade proved the difference-maker in a frustrating afternoon for Wolves, who remain winless after four Premier League games.

The debutant rose above the Wolves defence in the 29th minute to fire Newcastle ahead, giving Eddie Howe and his side a much-needed boost following the culmination of the summer-long transfer saga surrounding last season’s top scorer Alexander Isak, which saw him join Liverpool.

A frenetic and fast-paced opening 20 minutes saw plenty of chances without the decisive final touch, with composure in the final third conspicuously absent from the affair. It seemed certain Jacob Murphy would open the scoring in the 13th minute when he found himself unmarked at the back post, but a most impressive point-blank save from Sam Johnstone denied him.

A VAR check for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity threatened to tip the game in the hosts’ favour in the 21st minute, though Yerson Masquera’s blushes were soon spared as the referee gestured for play to continue.

To say £73.5m summer signing Nick Woltemade has big boots to fill following the departure of Alexander Isak would be an understatement. It is impossible to ignore the impact of losing Isak, who blossomed into one of the world’s elite strikers under Howe.

Yet Woltemade’s debut goal, arriving on the half-hour mark, will have gone some way in easing the pain of losing him. The towering 6’6″ German rose above the Wolves defence to meet Murphy’s cross, planting a powerful header past Johnstone to give the hosts the lead.

Newcastle thought they had doubled their lead through Murphy moments before half-time, though the Englishman’s celebrations were cut short as Barnes’ run was deemed offside in the build-up.

Newcastle began the second period on the front foot, riding the wave of momentum the closing moments of the first half had afforded them. The hosts continued to frustrate the visitors, setting up shop in their half and rarely allowing the Old Gold a spell of possession.

Five substitutions in the space of ten minutes came as Wolves boss Vítor Pereira attempted to change things, though the changes soon proved themselves to be in vain with Newcastle continuing to frustrate the visitors, who look in real trouble.