Eddie Howe needed a response from his Newcastle United players against Manchester City, and he got it.
The Magpies were absolutely excellent against Pep Guardiola’s side, with Newcastle United beating Manchester City in a result that will hopefully kickstart their season.
Every Newcastle United player delivered on Saturday night. Malick Thiaw was immense, while Tino Livramento played like he had never been away on his return from injury.
But the player with the biggest point to prove against Manchester City was Joelinton, and he did exactly that.
Who was your Newcastle United MOTM against Manchester City?
Joelinton silences critics with immense performance vs Manchester City
Throughout this season, I have been very critical of Joelinton.
The Brazil international has been frustratingly inconsistent, performing well below the levels he is capable of. He has been poor in possession, making Newcastle United’s incredibly strong midfield their biggest problem.
But Howe put his faith in Joelinton against Manchester City, and he responded with his best performance of the season. The 29-year-old was immense at St James’ Park, putting in the type of display that would silence detractors like myself.
Joelinton was dominant on Saturday. He was ferocious off the ball, while he was also protective on it. Too often this season he has been sloppy and wasteful, but that was rarely the case against Manchester City.
He was guilty of one error that almost resulted in Manchester City scoring, but Nick Pope managed to put Erling Haaland off to spare Joelinton’s blushes.
Other than that mistake, Joelinton was back to his best.
Joelinton must shine again against Marseille
Just days after Newcastle’s impressive victory over Manchester City, they travel to France to face Marseille.
It will be a tough game for the Magpies, who will be bracing themselves for a raucous and intimidating atmosphere inside the Stade Velodrome.
How much money Newcastle United can and will earn in the Champions League this season.
It will be another night where Eddie Howe’s players need to stand up and fight, as they aim to continue their strong Champions League form. That includes Joelinton, who is predicted to start for Newcastle on Tuesday night.
Following his heroics against Man City, Joelinton must now offer consistency. We have seen he is still capable of those incredible heights, and now he must start to play like that on a regular basis.
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