Player Focus: Ayoze Form Helping Newcastle Pull Away From Danger

“Newcastle feels like home for me.” Traditionally, Newcastle has been one of the more welcoming cities in England, so Ayoze Pérez’s words will have buoyed supporters of one of English football’s most renowned clubs. In the wake of reported interest from Manchester United, fans of the Magpies are hoping to make the Spaniard feel more comfortable than ever at St. James' Park. 

The 22-year-old striker has quickly established himself as a fan favourite on Tyneside having arrived as a relative unknown from Tenerife last summer, netting seven league goals in his debut campaign at the club. While he started the season slowly under newly-appointed manager Steve McClaren, Ayoze has quickly begun to showcase his best from in a disappointing Newcastle side. 

His goal in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday from one of only two shots Newcastle mustered over the 90 minutes was enough to gain a WhoScored rating of 8.27 and earn a place in the Premier League team of the week. Of all players at the club, only Georginio Wijnaldum (7.20) has gained a better rating than Ayoze (7.15) this season. Furthermore, only the summer signing from PSV (7) has been directly involved in more league goals for Newcastle than Ayoze (5), all of which have come in his last six outings. 

Newcastle invested heavily over the summer, building a squad capable of once again consolidating a place among England’s top 20 teams, albeit with a significantly larger cushion than last term, but the club has so far flattered to deceive. Victory on the south coast will have been a welcome reprieve ahead of the international break, though they still sit just two points above the relegation zone. 

Individual performances continue to shape their campaign so far. For every moment of excellence, there’s an error waiting to be committed, usually a costly one at the back. It’s no coincidence that only a handful of teams have shipped more league goals than Newcastle (22), further amplifying the need to improve defensively in the New Year. However, when pressing forward, there is reason to be hopeful. 

A return of 13 league goals is better than Swansea (12), Watford (11) and Stoke (10), among those higher than Newcastle in the league. A Jack Butland-inspired performance in the 0-0 draw with the latter was all that stood between them and another three points prior to the win at Bournemouth. It was another encounter where McClaren partnered Ayoze with summer signing Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Newcastle boss looks for the pairing to forge a striking relationship. 

The Toon manager is clearly keen on allowing both strikers the chance to forge a partnership, which is beginning to show signs of promise. The duo’s respective games compliment one another ideally. The feisty Mitrovic is better suited playing the more advanced role, harassing defenders in a bid to win possession in dangerous positions for his side. While the Serbian youngster is renowned for his ill-discipline - only Erik Lamela (5) and Graziano Pellè (4) have receieved more yellow cards of attack-minded players than Mitrovic (3), who also has a red card to his name - it’s this willingness to constantly pressurise the opposition that has helped him quickly win over the Newcastle supporters, even if his antics do draw the odd tut from the stands. 

This allows Ayoze to drop deeper and collect the ball from midfield to utilise his ability to run at defences. The striker has gained a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’, with his 53 attempted dribbles ranking 9th in the Premier League this season. This ability to find space between the midfield and defence means he is difficult to track and, as such, means he can turn and drive towards goal with the ball at his feet. It’s little shock that his average of 2.2 successful dribbles per game is the joint-best of Newcastle players in the Premier League this season. 

Meanwhile, an average of 1.1 key passes per game ranks third at the club, highlighting the creative side of his game. A player his age will only improve with time and McClaren appears keen to hand him the opportunity to develop accordingly. As he looks to find the best system to suit his attack, the 54-year-old would be wise to persist with Mitrovic and Ayoze up front once domestic duties resume later this month. 

Ayoze's approach offers an alternative threat to the Newcastle attack, with Mitrovic favouring a more gung ho approach, though he is far more versatile than the one-dimensional Papiss Demba Cisse. That's certainly a positive in the more fluid system McClaren is looking to implement, particularly with Wijnaldum making runs from deep. With Ayoze dragging players out of position, the Dutchman is able to exploit the space left behind, with his header in the 6-2 thumping of Norwich a prime example of his ability to ghost into the box to score. 

With Ayoze drifting between the lines and out wide, the Newcastle attack is presented with more opportunities to hurt the opposition as a result. Of course, maintaining his current good form is crucial to the Magpies’ chances of pulling away from the relegation zone, with a lack of consistency somewhat concerning, but McClaren’s faith in the young frontman is benefitting both player and club.

Can Ayoze Pérez's goalscoring exploits keep Newcastle in the Premier League this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below