Following Newcastle United’s draw with Tottenham Hotspur earlier, a number of experts have waxed lyrical about Joelinton’s performance.
Indeed, the Brazilian scored the opener in a dramatic 2-2 draw and then followed up by playing a big role in Joe Willock’s late leveler in what enlightened minds have described as his best performance in a black and white shirt.
According to WhoScored data, the 24-year-old had the most shots on target of any Newcastle player (2), won two aerial duels, made a key pass and won two tackles. Though he did miss a great chance, the £40m signing clearly had a major impact on the game, representing a high point in his otherwise difficult time of things on Tyneside.
Hitting the mark with his one long ball too, Joelinton was an effective attacking outlet pretty much all afternoon, even if his finishing wasn’t exactly prolific.
Reacting to the performance, the likes of Alan Shearer, Chris Waugh and Andrew Musgrove were full of praise, with the first two suggesting it may well have been his best game for the club. While there is certainly a long way to go and a lot to prove considering some of the struggles he’s had, it is at least promising to see him finally deliver.
With Callum Wilson in line for a return against Burnley next week and Allan Saint-Maximin making his comeback this afternoon, perhaps Newcastle can start to look up. Should he be able to follow this up and back the two players registering the most goal scoring actions per league game (via FBREF) for the club this season, Steve Bruce’s attacking line looks an awful lot stronger than it had done before the international break.