Newcastle United are flying. A comfortable 3-0 victory at Leicester City on Monday has seen them climb to second in the Premier League table as the likelihood of them finishing inside the top four grows stronger with each passing game.
It was the sixth time this season that the Magpies had scored at least three goals in a game which shows that they have enough goals in the squad for them to reach this particular milestone at an early stage of their revolution under their new ownership. Not only that, they went two goals up inside the opening seven minutes, the last time they did that in the top-flight was against Aston Villa in 2007.
The work Eddie Howe has overseen at St James’ Park has been nothing short of extraordinary because he has been delivering with players who had been struggling before his arrival. You look at the likes of Fabian Schar, Joelinton and Miguel Almiron in particular. All three of these players really struggled to make an impact at Newcastle before Howe arrived and now all three of them have evolved into some of his most key stars.
Joelinton and Almiron were on the scoresheet in the Magpies’ demolition of Leicester at the King Power Stadium and both have typified Newcastle’s rapid rise up the Premier League over the past year. Joelinton’s transformation from a struggling striker to a brilliant box-to-box midfielder has been magnificent but nothing reflects Newcastle’s evolution more than Almiron.
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The Paraguayan has been sprinkling his magic in 2022-23 when for such a long time he was adjudged to not have any. We all remember Jack Grealish using his name to joke that his teammate turned in a bad performance last year, but now Almiron has established himself as one of the top-performing wingers in the Premier League.
Newcastle imposed themselves early against the Foxes and after Chris Wood got them up and running from the penalty spot, Almiron soon danced his way into the box before finding the bottom corner with his left boot, a sight we have become so accustomed to over the past few months. It was his eighth goal in his last nine league appearances and his ninth strike in total.
He has developed into Newcastle’s most threatening attacker and it is a credit to Howe but also the player himself. In his first 110 Premier League appearances, Almiron had scored nine goals. This year he has reached that figure in just 16 - his renaissance has been incredible to watch.
The Magpies have also been praised for their smart recruitment because the players they have acquired since the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover have all had an impact. But unlike some coaches, Howe still made sure to put the effort into improving the players that were already there, and he has been reaping the rewards. For all the excellent organisation and defending they have gained through signing Dan Burn, they have been able to really feel the benefit from their marquee signing Bruno Guimaraes.
The Brazilian has been instrumental in helping get Newcastle to where they are now and he is the connector between defence and attack. He has been the marquee signing of the new era at Newcastle, not just because of his quality but because he could’ve easily ended up at any top European club. Real Madrid have been tracking him, and for good reason. Alongside Almiron’s form in front of goal, Guimaraes’ grace and skill in midfield is what is also going to be crucial for what is going to be an action-packed second half of the semester.
The fans are starting to dream about Champions League football next season and with the team excelling, you cannot bet against it.
