Rafa Benitez highlighted the impact Newcastle United attacker Miguel Almiron was currently having on the team’s form ahead of his side facing Arsenal.
The Spanish manager was asked about the club’s recent form with them having won four of their last eight games and the Magpies boss responded by revealing he was impressed by the 25-year-old
Benitez acknowledge that the team were playing with more confidence to help them be better going forward but claimed Almiron was offering his side something a little bit of different in attack and that was having a positive knock-on effect on Salomon Rondon as well as Ayoze Perez.
“The team is doing a lot of things with more confidence and we have more chances and then we are more of a threat in attack,” said Benitez in an interview with Sky Sports.
“Why? Because the players know each other much better, they know exactly what we are trying to do – and maybe also Almiron is giving us a little bit of something different in attack and helping Rondon and helping Ayoze.”
OPINION
Almiron made a splash in his full Magpies debut as he showed glimpses of why the club opted to sign him, but he’s been a quieter in his recent displays. Yet despite this clearly Benitez is appreciating the work the 25-year-old is doing for the team. Almiron is yet to score in any of his six appearances for the club, but the Magpies manager seems to be thinking his presence is helping Perez and Rondon gets goals. While Rondon was wowing ahead of Almiron arriving, Perez was struggling. Yet the Spanish attacker does seem to have upped his game lately and perhaps it is Almiron’s influence on him. The 25-year-old Paraguayan is often seen distracting defenders by going on promising runs and that is leaving Perez with more space to operate in. However while Almiron has done enough to get in Benitez’s good books, you feel he needs to start scoring more, to weave his way into supporter’s hearts.
