Dwight Gayle was the shining light for Newcastle United in the Championship last season, helping the Magpies secure the title and an immediate return to the Premier League, but he’s struggled to find his feet so far this term.
Gayle is yet to open his account in the top-flight, which is part of Newcastle’s issue of failing to find a consistent goalscorer to help them in their battle, and his injury in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Southampton will leave the Magpies in limbo.
The striker, who has struggled with a hamstring problem previously, was left in pain due to a calf problem which limited his impact on the match- and ruined Rafael Benitez’ tactical plan, as he planned to utilise the forward’s pace to quell the pressure that Southampton were posing.
Southampton would go on to equalise 15 minutes from time from the penalty spot and Newcastle, by Benitez’ own admission, were playing the final 10 minutes of the match with ten-men as Gayle struggled with his problem.
The full extent of Gayle’s injury is not yet revealed but Newcastle need to use this as a wake up call to find a new star in their side, as it’s quickly become evident that Gayle is not that man in the Premier League- and they could start to struggle if they don’t fix this issue quickly.
Newcastle United have scored just nine goals in eight Premier League matches, the third-lowest tally in the league’s top ten, and their top-scorers are tied on two goals apiece; summer signing Joselu and and captain Jamaal Lascelles.
Seven different players have scored for Newcastle this season, which is fairly impressive, but they’ll need a consistent and reliable goalscorer to emerge if they are to continue battling in the top-half of the table and avoid being sucked into a relegation battle.
Joselu, a £5m capture from Stoke, could well be that player but his consistency, as he settles into life on Tyneside, has been off and Serbian international Aleksandar Mitrovic is also trying to find his feet after an early suspension.
At the current stage, it’s highly likely that Rafael Benitez will look to sign a new striker in the January transfer window but that is still a long way away and the Magpies cannot afford to put all of their eggs in one basket.
