Newcastle United take on a resurgent Chelsea side this afternoon and Eddie Howe will be hoping for a much better performance than the one his team gave last weekend.
The Magpies succumbed to an impressive Brighton side who look like they are ready to take the next step up under Fabian Hurzeler. The same cannot be said, at this moment anyway, of Howe’s Newcastle.
Failing to rejuvenate the squad properly in the summer is coming back to haunt him, no doubt about that.
Against the Blues, the Englishman could perhaps make a few changes to freshen things up, as a few members of the side were disappointing last weekend, including Jacob Murphy.
Jacob Murphy’s game in numbers vs Brighton
Alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, Murphy was unleashed as part of a front three hoping to cause havoc to the Brighton defence.
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Despite having 21 shots, the Magpies failed to score, and the winger was fairly subdued throughout the game.
Murphy may have attempted two dribbles, made a key pass and had two shots blocked, but aside from this, he wasn’t at his best.
The Englishman lost possession ten times, won just one of his five attempted duels and was dribbled past once during his 65 minutes on the pitch, being replaced by Harvey Barnes, who won 100% of his duels and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles, showing much more dynamism than Murphy.
It thus should be the former Leicester City man who comes back into the starting XI vs Chelsea, meaning Murphy will drop to the bench.
Howe must unleash Harvey Barnes vs Chelsea
Barnes simply possesses a more direct attacking threat in the final third. This season, the 26-year-old has scored three goals while chipping in with a single assist in ten games.
Murphy, on the other hand, has grabbed just two assists in eight games, while failing to score in the Premier League.
Barnes has also created three big chances, averages 0.9 key passes and succeeds with 50% of his dribble attempts. Compare this to the 29-year-old, who has created one big chance, and also averages 0.9 key passes per game, but succeeds with just 33% of his dribble attempts.
Metric
Barnes
Murphy
Goals
3
0
Assists
1
2
Big chances created
3
1
Successful dribble percentage per game
50%
33%
Key passes per game
0.9
0.9
Total shots per game
1.9
0.9
It is evident who Howe should unleash in the starting XI, especially if he aims to secure a positive result against Enzo Maresca’s men today.
The £80k-per-week dynamo is in wonderful form and his cameo last weekend proves he is ready to be unleashed from the first whistle against the Blues.
Howe lavished praise on the winger earlier this campaign following his stunning late winner against Wolves, saying: “His qualities are unbounded and he is a goalscoring winger and there are not many around. He is one of the best finishing wingers I’ve seen.”
If he starts today, Barnes can potentially be a game-changer for Newcastle. For that there is no doubt.
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