Miguel Almiron has scored six times in his last six Premier League games, netting at least once in each of his last three; his October goal tally can only be matched by Man City's Erling Haaland; watch Southampton vs Newcastle live on Sky Sports on Sunday; kick-off 2pm
Sunday 6 November 2022 18:47, UK
It is not just the quantity of them, it is the quality. A player transformed this season, Miguel Almiron has been finding the net for fun. Long-range stunners or scintillating solo runs, goals from chance or goals by design – he has scored them all.
In fact, October has been somewhat of a scoring spree.
"A game-changer," according to manager Eddie Howe. Newcastle are yet to lose when Almiron is on the scoresheet this term, which has been astonishingly often. The upturn is symptomatic of the club's sharp rise and he is not the only player benefitting.
Callum Wilson has breathed new life into his England selection chances, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier are playing with similar buoyancy, while no goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets than Nick Pope (six).
Plaudits can be derived from all manner of sources. Defensively, Newcastle possess the most stubborn rearguard of any Premier League side, while offensively they have the second-best spread of goalscorers in the division - Joelinton became the 10th Newcastle player to score a league goal in their 4-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend.
For Almiron, though, it all started when he bundled the ball into the net against Manchester City in late August, needing VAR to ensure the goal stood as the Magpies held the reigning champions to a breathless 3-3 draw. An outcome tinged with retribution.
Jack Grealish was absent that day, but reminders of his jibe towards the Newcastle forward during City's title parade in late May did resurface. Grealish's ill-advised taunt about Almiron's supposed shortcomings went viral over the summer, but such juvenile behaviour has only served to embolden the plucky Paraguayan.
A capacity crowd erupted inside St James' Park when Almiron nudged Allan Saint-Maximin's cross beyond Ederson in the 28th minute - in part to celebrate the equaliser, but also in solidarity with the player's sense of justice. The moment warmed the steely hearts of all on Tyneside who are only now beginning to thaw after the end of the Mike Ashley ownership era.
Not wishing to dwell himself, in-form Almiron has since scored six goals in as many games across the month of October - equalled (but not bettered) only by Erling Haaland.
The numbers are compelling and his contribution is also driving his side's collective improvement. Only Man City (24.4) have a higher current xG than Newcastle (23.1).
"I'm running out of words to describe Miggy's goals," raved Howe last Saturday afternoon. "They're all so good." The previously goal-shy 28-year-old is outscoring any prior season in England by quite some distance, even after being ominously linked with the exit door in the summer.
But perhaps what is more remarkable is the versatility with which he is finding the net.
A couple of left-boot curlers have left fans purring, yet his repertoire is impressively varied. Successful forwards occupy an instinctiveness that seeks to catch defenders off-guard.
Almiron, however, runs his opponents into submission. He has made more sprints (310) than any other player in the league this season. "He's incredible out of possession," says Howe. "The work-rate cannot be questioned, but now some of the goals he's scoring are spectacular."
His impact is timely too, in the wake of injuries to Saint-Maximin and club-record signing Alexander Isak - who played a combined total of 16 minutes across October.
So, what has prompted the shift?
Newcastle are playing with greater freedom - pressing higher, with a sustained three-pronged attack. The players trust in the process because roles are as explicitly defined as the expectation that comes alongside them. Certainly, they have all the component parts of a winning side; a defiant goalkeeper, a central-defensive partnership with the joint-best record in the league, flying full-backs and a wonderfully vibrant and fluid frontline.
Confidence is coursing through the team and elevating performances all over the pitch.
Almiron has never been shy of groundwork, he is a workaholic, but Howe's front-foot style of football has unleashed new potential. He stretches defences with renewed purpose because he is implored to do so. It is a philosophy that champions team cohesion and collective responsibility.
Consider the two goals the former Atlanta forward scored against Fulham in early October. The first is a sensationally executed looping volley that was made possible by Guimaraes, and the second a simple back-post tap-in of Joe Willock's making. Completely different entries, needing equal amounts of accuracy and precision, but all with the signature of a team thriving in their specialised roles.
Afforded greater license to roam, Almiron tracks back less, hugs the touchline more, but is far more effective in forward areas. The recast has meant he is receiving the ball higher up the pitch, while enjoying double the amount of touches in opposition boxes (5.11 per 90 minutes).
He ranks third overall, behind Haaland and James Maddison, for xG differential (2.83) while his heat map is deliberately specific - it places him in the opposition half at almost all points in time.
This weekend sees Newcastle face a Southampton team, live on Sky Sports, whose fortunes make for stark contrast. While the Magpies continue to soar ever higher, the struggling Saints are in search of a saviour of their own.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have failed to win any of their last 13 league games against teams starting the day in the top four - and that is where Howe's outfit sit. A sharp, but nevertheless impressive, ascent from their established mid-table dwelling.
"There will be a lot of teams fighting for the Champions League, fighting for the title. Look now, Newcastle is another part of this," Man City boss Pep Guardiola acknowledged recently.
There is a celebratory mood at St James' Park. "This City is Believing Again" a banner read last Saturday.
And nothing encapsulates the feeling better than the case of Miguel Almiron. "He's getting the recognition he deserves for everything he gives the team," Howe insists. Perhaps his future is on Tyneside after all.
Watch Southampton vs Newcastle live on Sky Sports Main Event on Sunday from 1pm; kick-off 2pm.
