Eddie Howe didn’t rip things up ahead of Newcastle United’s crunch Premier League clash against Manchester City, but instead opted for smaller tweaks to arrest the slide in form that had cast an air of frustration across Tyneside.
Hope reigned across the November international break that the Toon would undergo a systematic reset, with three defeats from four leaving the club down in the bottom half. But Howe got it right, and Pep Guardiola was sent packing with none of the spoils.
With Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga, ostensibly the Magpies’ two most talented wide forwards, out of sorts, it was crucial that Howe saw some other attacking stars step up.
Newcastle's evolving frontline
When Newcastle sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a British record fee, it was a poignant moment. But Newcastle have evolved, and Nick Woltemade has proved by this stage his potential to be a star in the Premier League.
Theoretically, the 23-year-old German’s technical quality on the ball and his willingness to roam, dropping deep and aiding the pacy wingers either side of him, should give rise to Gordon and Elanga’s qualities, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Harvey Barnes is thriving, though. The prolific left winger scored twice to sink City, and that’s three in two Premier League matches for him.
Then, of course, Jacob Murphy continues to add flair and industriousness down the right flank. This is important, given Elanga’s own woes. Murphy, 30, worked so hard against his tide of the opposition, and he still managed to showcase his creativity, creating three chances and completing four of six attempted crosses, as per Sofascore.
We haven’t even mentioned Yoane Wissa, who was involved in Saturday’s celebrations but remains sidelined after joining from Brentford this summer. The DR Congo striker will add a new dimension to Howe’s frontline and offer a more traditional take than Woltemade, an interesting counterpoint.
These are all influential forwards, but it might be that Newcastle are developing another more influential member of their squad. This player offers shades of Erling Haaland, and yet he’s anything but a striker.
Newcastle's own version of Haaland
Haaland is one of the best players in the world, and, at Manchester City, his influence is unmatched.
Newcastle might not have anyone in their side who comes close to the Norwegian in terms of attacking output, but Malick Thiaw is beginning to single-handedly define his side’s defensive strength, and in this, he could curiously become United’s own version of the free-scoring machine.
Newcastle completed a £35m move for Thiaw in August, reinforcing a backline that was crying out for some extra depth last season.
Hailed as an “absolute steal” of a signing by one United content creator, who lauded Thiaw’s “Saliba-esque” presence in central defence, this is a defender who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, and this was underscored and then some upon keeping Haaland at bay on Saturday.
Haaland failed to score, but his physicality and the scare factor that comes into play when he’s involved were both negated by the Germany international, whose willingness to go one-on-one and engage with crisp and combative challenges emphasise the level of player Newcastle have reeled in. One podcast host actually marvelled at the display and said, “he might be the Premier League’s next elite centre-back.”
Mentality is just as important as technical mastery, and luckily, the £75k-per-week Thiaw offers both elements in bucketloads.
Sofascore record that he made seven clearances and six ball recoveries against City, timing a last-man challenge just right.
Moreover, Thiaw is already sitting pretty across some intriguing statistical metrics. In the Premier League this season, for example, the 24-year-old ranks among the top 15% of centre-backs for interceptions, the top 13% for blocks, the top 9% for ball recoveries, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 (data provided by FBref).
Couple that with his remarkable success rate in the duel, both in the Premier League and out on the continent this season, and you begin to see why so many Newcastle supporters are boarding the hype train at this early stage of his English career.
Matches (starts)
9 (8)
4 (3)
Goals
0
0
Assists
0
0
Touches*
52.7
57.0
Accurate passes*
35.1 (86%)
43.8 (91%)
Recoveries*
4.1
4.8
Tackles + interceptions*
2.4
1.8
Clearances*
5.0
3.3
Ground duels*
1.4 (68%)
1.5 (55%)
Aerial duels*
3.1 (72%)
3.3 (76%)
Errors made
0
0
Error-free, confident on the ball and commanding in defensive phases, Thiaw is a “monster” of a centre-half, in the words of journalist Martino Puccio, and he’s only going to keep getting better as he settles into his role on Tyneside.
Given the current struggles of Sven Botman – who started from the bench at St. James’ Park at the weekend – and the ageing legs of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar – Newcastle’s new central defender may well far outstrip his positional competition and enter a league of his own.
In this way, he could emulate Haaland’s own matchless presence at the Etihad Stadium and establish himself as a one-of-a-kind talent on Tyneside, becoming not just one of the best players in Newcastle’s first team but a figure to be feared across the entire continent, just as Haaland is right now.
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