Newcastle star Isak eyes Champions League spot after confidence boost against Manchester United

NEWCASTLE: Beating Manchester United did little to exorcise Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup demons, according to striker Alexander Isak.

However, the Swede believes the three points can be the catalyst to the Magpies ending the Premier League season with a Champions League spot to their name.

Sunday’s win over the Red Devils saw Newcastle climb above the side which ended their dreams of a trophy less than five weeks ago when Erik ten Hag's men won 2-0 at Wembley.

Roles were reversed at St James’ Park, though, with the Magpies the aggressors and goals from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson seeing Newcastle leapfrog their illustrious opponents in the race for the top four.

Newcastle now sit in third spot — which can only alter with a Tottenham win at Everton on Monday night — with just 11 games left to play.

And while Isak admits the win does not make up for the side’s Wembley woes, he says it does go some way to helping to achieve the club’s ambitions.

He said: “Hopefully [we can get top four], we can use this win as a boost.

“We won’t talk too much about it; we will just take one game at a time and get the results we need.

“They still got the cup. We wanted that cup and didn’t get it. This win was still important; they are a direct rival for us in the table. It was nice to get the three points.”

Prior to the encounter in February, Manchester United boss Ten Hag was vocal in his criticism of Newcastle’s style, saying that Eddie Howe’s team were negative and “annoying,” using time-wasting tactics to achieve their aims.

The former Ajax boss doubled down on that last Friday when he said of the Magpies: “We know they delay.”

This incensed head coach Howe, who, uncharacteristically, went on the attack against Ten Hag,