OPINION
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez faces a crunch game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday as the team’s wait for a first Premier League win of the season goes inexorably on.
It’s vital, then, that he selects the right team to face Chris Hughton’s side, and that means going with the partnership of Yoshinori Muto and Ayoze Perez up front.
The lightning pair worked wonders for the Magpies attack against Manchester United last time out, providing Benitez’s side with the attacking thrust they had previously been missing.
Continuing with the duo would mean the Spaniard resisting the urge to recall Salomon Rondon, who The Chronicle reports should be fit to make Newcastle’s squad for the Seagulls test.
This is no slight on Rondon, who has worked hard in the few appearances he’s made for the club since joining on loan from West Bromwich Albion this summer, it’s merely the best selection choice to achieve victory.
Rondon, on a reported £60,000-per-week at St James’ Park [Source: Spotrac], is a talented player who excels at bullying defenders and holding the ball up.
It just so happens that Newcastle’s attack burst into life when Muto and Perez were employed up top together against Jose Mourinho’s side.
Muto got on the scoresheet with a terrific strike while Perez produced his finest performance of the season as the Magpies saw a draw snatched away from them late on at Old Trafford. Without their dynamic duo up front, though, there would have been no points to snatch away.
We’ve seen what Newcastle’s attack looks like with Rondon or Joselu up front. The big man up top on his own hasn’t worked for the club this season. Instead it’s the pace and trickery provided by Muto and Perez that did the trick against one of the best teams in the Premier League.
There is a very easy decision for the manager to make, here. However it’s made more difficult by his obvious admiration for Rondon. He worked hard to bring him in this summer, but he must continue where he left off before the international break by picking Muto and Perez up front again.
