"We had to be patient, and we had to play a different way slightly. We had a lot of the ball in the first half, we knew Wolves would be stubborn opponents. 

"We got a lucky break with the first goal, but overall I think we deserved it.

"Depending on how the game pans out, you need different ways to win. The first goal was so important today, but we had a few scares: Wolves are difficult to play against.

"Overall, can't be too picky, it is nine wins in a row now. We know we can play better than today, we did enough of the detailed work to get the win. There's a lot to be positive about and a lot to improve.

"There has to be more to come. That is the challenge we have to pose to the players now. Today wasn't perfect, the last 20 minutes wasn't great I didn't think and we need to keep growing, evolving, improving because the challenges only get harder and stronger.

"That would be my message to the players. We will endeavour to do the work to find the extra gears we need.

"I have been consistent with my team selection which I think has helped us. But you never want it to be definitive. And you don't want it to be definitive because form always changes. You hope players in the squad step up and give you a real problem.

"So yes I vaguely have an opinion on what my best team is but I don't want it to be set. I want players challenging all the time."

On Isak:

"The first goal was key today.

"I think he will probably say he meant it, the way things are going for him at the moment. But he has picked the ball up wide left and he has got that freedom because he is a really good dribbler. We encourage him to get on the ball as much as he can.

"When you have got the technical skills that he has, I think it is huge for us that we do not ask him to be too central and static. We need him on the ball, we want him on the ball, as much as possible in the attacking third so he does have freedom to get the ball.

"He makes (the second) look an easy finish but it is absolutely not because you might get one of those in a game and we need him to take it. But he has got that calmness and that coolness that all the top players have.

"It is one of his biggest strengths – his composure and level of finishing is at the highest level. He has the extra second of composure that players at the top level have."

On Sandro Tonali:

"I thought Sandro was magnificent today. We always ask our midfielders to do different jobs depending on our opposition. Today he had a deeper role off the ball and I thought he did it absolutely brilliantly,

"He followed it to the letter. He was putting out a lot of transition issues for us, so I thought his individual performance was strong but I thought midfield was the key area because we had a lot of the ball and they all used the ball really well."

Two goals and one assist from Alexander Isak gave his side their sixth successive Premier League victory and lifted them into fourth place on Wednesday evening.

A Wolves side beaten just once in four league games since Vitor Pereira's arrival began positively and took the game to Newcastle - a tactic that tested the pairing of Sven Botman and Dan Burn in central defence, with Fabian Schar withdrawing due to illness.

That positive stance from the visitors gave Eddie Howe's side opportunities to continue their recent scoring spree; Jacob Murphy testing Jose Sa and Isak shaving the bottom of the post at the end of a flowing attack move.

United were set on their way to a record-equalling ninth win in all competitions on 34 minutes, when Isak saw his shot take a significant deflection off Rayan Ait-Nouri that left Jose Sa helpless.

If there was any doubt as to whether the Newcastle striker would be credited with that goal and become the first Magpie to score in eight consecutive Premier League games, he then weighed in with another 12 minutes into the second period.

That goal was stunningly simple and beautifully executed; an astute pass from Bruno Guimaraes finding United's top scorer on the penalty spot for the simplest of finishes.  

Isak then turned provider 17 minutes later, finding Anthony Gordon in the box at the second attempt for a third Newcastle goal that survived a lengthy VAR assessment for a possible offside by Isak when initially receiving the ball from Joelinton.

Wolves had grazed the woodwork through Jorgen Strand Larsen when a goal behind in the first half and somehow failed to find a way past birthday boy Martin Dubravka in the closing stages. 

Santiago Bueno's goal following a corner was disallowed for handball - unlike our recent effort at Spurs that stood despite a Joelinton handball earlier in the move, this time the offence immediately preceded the goal.

Larsen then hit the goal frame again; the visitors ending up having seven efforts on target compared to Newcastle's five.

Despite the efforts of Wolves, until the three goal advantage was secured there was always the sense that United were playing within themselves and capable of greater efforts if required.

If anything, our own tendency to over-elaborate when in possession near our own goal was the greatest danger, with a couple of hairy moments when Bruno tried risky dribbles and passes just outside Dubravka's area.

United lost their shape following five substitutions, but the destination of the points was never in doubt as they equalled an all-time club record of nine consecutive wins in all competitions.

Victory over Bournemouth at Gallowgate on Saturday would round off a perfect ten and move the Magpies on to 41 points from 22 games - matching their total at that stage in the 2022/23 season, when they went on to secure Champions League football.

However we've failed to win any of the most recent five league meetings with a Cherries side in good form - Newcastle's last three point return in 2020 coming when Howe was still Bournemouth boss. 

Regardless of that possible milestone/millstone, we're in rare form that only the most optimistic Toon watcher could have foreseen as we flounced out of Brentford in early December and wrote about our inability to challenge towards the top end of the table meaning the cups remained a priority. 

Mentions of "Newcastle" and "title" in the same sentence however still elicite a characteristically downbeat reminder that we're still only a twanged Swedish metatarsal away from a crisis....

Biffa