Ayoze Perez
Perez is player who consistently blows hot and cold for Newcastle but one whom retains the faith and confidence of Rafa Benitez to follow his implicit instructions the letter. Supporters have often bemoaned Perez’s passive displays and his shrewd ability to go missing from games, yet there is no faulting the Spaniard’s work ethic which has stepped up a notch in a series of markedly improved performances in the early stages of 2018
Scoring the winner at Stoke on New Years Day seems to have reinvigorated Perez and his performance against Manchester United on Sunday, when he hassled and harried the visitors back-four in a breathless 90 minutes, typified what he brings to a Newcastle side hamstrung by a painful lack of quality at times. Even minor changes to his game, like putting his body in the way to protect the ball, have been evident and point to a positive shift in mentality that has triggered his resurgence.
