Newcastle United continued their rampant recent form with a thumping 5-1 victory over relegation strugglers West Ham United on Wednesday evening, with Eddie Howe’s side strengthening their hold on third place in the Premier League.
Just a matter of days after overpowering top-four rivals Manchester United, the Magpies looked rather ferocious again at the London Stadium, with both Callum Wilson and Joelinton netting a brace, while substitute Alexander Isak bagged his fourth goal from his last four top-flight games.
On a day of overwhelming positives for the St James’ Park outfit, it was undoubtedly that man Wilson who stole the headlines, with the England international yet again proving a thorn in the side of the Hammers after bagging his 11th and 12th goal against yesterday’s opponents in just 13 career meetings.
We at Football FanCast had suggested prior to the match that it would be an astute move to slot the 31-year-old back into the starting lineup due to that stellar record against the Irons, with the Coventry-born ace undoubtedly warranting the faith of his manager after getting the nod over man of the moment, Isak.
While Wilson’s impact may have perhaps been expected due to his remarkable history in the fixture, there were few who anticipated the returning Joelinton to also bag a double, with the Brazilian maestro proving yet again just why he has been “magic” for Howe this season, as per Simon L’Estrange.
How did Joelinton perform against West Ham?
After only featuring off the bench against the Red Devils last Sunday – after serving a two-game suspension prior to that – the 26-year-old more than made his mark after replacing Joe Willock in the starting XI, having been a “tireless” presence in the centre of the park, according to writer James Nalton.
The ‘rock solid’ machine – as hailed by the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder – showed great composure to round the advancing Lukasz Fabianski to bag his first of the night – and Newcastle’s second – before capping a fine individual and collective performance with another goal at the death from the angle.
The £85k-per-week man was truly “outstanding” on the night – according to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope – with his 8.5 match rating, as per Sofascore, the highest of any player for either side.
That stellar rating was more than justified due to the 27-pass ace’s all-round display, having also proved a real asset in a defensive sense after winning six total duels and earning two fouls for his side.
While the former Hoffenheim powerhouse did lose possession on 14 occasions, he was able to offer a real dynamic and creative threat in the final third after registering one key pass and completing his solitary dribble attempt, with the home side having simply been unable to live with his desire to surge forward from deep.
Following his recent absence from the side, Joelinton certainly reminded both his manager and supporters of his importance to the Magpies’ midfield machine, with it set to prove difficult to dislodge the all-action hero from now on.
