OPINION
Newcastle United’s recent renaissance continued against Burnley on Monday night as the Magpies ran out 2-1 winners at Turf Moor – and one man stood out for his fine performance.
The match was littered with quality outings from the visiting side, but it was the display of defender DeAndre Yedlin that was perhaps the most surprising.
The American has been a bit of a passenger in the early part of this season for Rafael Benitez’s team, but he looked back to his best against the Clarets as a tactical switch from the Spaniard unlocked his previous Newcastle form.
Benitez’s change to a five at the back, three centre backs with two wing backs, was a stroke of genius. The approach befuddled Burnley throughout and the hosts were never able to get to grips with it. The formation also brought out some great performances from the Magpies backline.
Yedlin was one of those high-performing players. The 25-year-old was crucial to everything Newcastle did both offensively and defensively on a terrific night in Lancashire.
He should have got an assist for his efforts, too, after he put the ball on a plate for Matt Ritchie to extend the team’s lead, only for the Scotland international to produce one of the misses of the season from about two yards out.
He also made a wonderful sliding challenge to deny Chris Wood when the New Zealander looked to have a decent opportunity for the hosts.
It was a phenomenal display from the former Tottenham Hotspur man. Whether the five man defence is something Benitez continues with or not, Yedlin can take much encouragement from his performance.
It seemed that the extra freedom afforded the United States of America international by the formation allowed him to produce his best stuff.
He looked a completely different player to the one who has struggled to find form in the early stages of the campaign, and Newcastle fans will be hoping that he can build on this display in the coming weeks.
