Miguel Almiron's strike against Brentford on Saturday means the Newcastle United forward has now matched his best ever goalscoring campaign for the Magpies after only nine games.
The Paraguayan took advantage of a poor Ethan Pinnock backpass to calmly take the ball beyond David Raya and score United's fourth in a rousing 5-1 victory at St James' Park. Almiron's purple patch continues with Eddie Howe now consistently relying on the former Atlanta man in attack.
Almiron now has four goals in nine games this season, equalling his best ever season in a Magpies shirt. It took the 28-year-old 36 games to reach that tally last year and 34 games during the 2019/20 campaign.
Eddie Howe has made a habit of improving Newcastle's first-team stars, with Joelinton and Emil Krafth just two who have bloomed under the former Bournemouth boss. Now, it looks like Almiron may be about to join the category of those who have salvaged their Newcastle career under Howe.
The attacker has endured barren spells during his United stint with a section of the fanbase questioning his long-term future on Tyneside at times. However, his recent resurgence is no surprise to Howe who has constantly championed the winger.
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“I’d say every player is a confidence player but may be some more than others,” Howe said this week. “I think Miggy is mentally very strong. When you look back at his career and the challenges that he’s faced, with the different countries he has played in, full credit to him for that journey.
“He arrives here now, mentally, in the best place he’s ever been. Certainly during his pre-season form, I thought he was outstanding. He’s taken that now into the earlier part of the season and I think there’s a lot more to come.
“I’m excited by what he can deliver but, even when he’s not scoring, he still delivers so much for the team that maybe goes unnoticed.”
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