Newcastle ace is now playing like an £86m superstar

Eddie Howe could not have been at St. James’ Park on Wednesday night, however the Newcastle United supervisor’s genius was very a lot current as his crew brushed Crystal Palace apart.

Brushed them apart as in the event that they had been nothing. Eagles decreased to mites, returning to Selhurst Park in tattered frustration. For Newcastle, the 5-0 win has lifted them above Nottingham Forest and into third place, additional into the agency soil of Champions League qualification.

With six Premier League video games left to play, the Carabao Cup champions are taking part in brilliantly, prime of the shape charts and decided to return to Europe’s elite stage.

The unity from head to toe is a product of Howe’s techniques and the gamers’ response to the boss’s teachings. So many good performances. Nevertheless, Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak proved themselves the picks of the bunch as soon as once more.

Isak & Murphy run riot

Final season, Anthony Gordon was topped Newcastle’s Participant of the Yr after a standout season that noticed him information his crew by injury-troubled waters.

Gordon stays a core a part of a high-flying, trophy-winning Magpies assault, however this has been Isak and Murphy’s yr. Each had been on the scoresheet towards Palace, with Murphy additionally organising Fabian Schar’s aim earlier than the break.

Isak is certainly one of Europe’s greatest strikers, now boasting 25 targets and 6 assists throughout all competitions. It is no surprise that the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool wish to signal the £150m-rated man, however their efforts will possible fall quick this summer season.

Murphy, nonetheless, has ripped up the narrative to shift from inconsequential squad participant to an utter drive within the Premier League. The way it’s occurred? Laborious graft and unbreakable belief from his supervisor, who has hailed his industriousness and promoted his efficiency in entrance of aim.

This new regime, painstakingly constructed, has served as a solvent for the years of harm and upset on Tyneside, however Newcastle aren’t simply an outfit pieced of superstars, with Murphy’s rise proof that every one can step up and attain new heights in Howe’s system.

Certainly, there’s one other Newcastle star who’s gone from energy to energy in current weeks and is now recorded as taking part in like Barcelona sensation Raphinha, who is without doubt one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or this yr.

Newcastle’s personal Raphinha

The person in query, as it’s possible you’ll effectively have guessed, is Harvey Barnes, who has risen in stature and duty over current weeks and has been praised, alongside Murphy, as being one of many “two greatest huge gamers within the Premier League proper now” by pundit Chris Sutton.

Newcastle ran rampant towards Oliver Glasner’s Palace, and he bought himself one other aim.

Discuss a purple patch. Barnes’ strike means he has scored in three successive Premier League matches, 4 targets in complete, having laid on two assists in as many fixtures earlier than.

Barnes’ magnificence lies in its simplicity. He carries an Arjen Robben-esque high quality of swooping inwards and firing at aim. His strikes bear the crispness of a sure-handled rifle shot, the snap and confidence of a predator beginning to pounce.

The 27-year-old performed the total 90 towards Palace, and although he wasn’t within the thick of the motion, he nonetheless got here away with a superb aim so as to add to the haul, underlining his means to strike when an opportunity falls his manner. The Shields Gazette might award him a minimum of a 9/10 match score for his efficiency, hailing his ending.

Barnes won’t have began on a regular basis since transferring to Tyneside from relegated Leicester Metropolis in 2023, however he carries that pure menace that makes him such a harmful weapon.

It is one thing that Raphinha has constructed up himself beneath Hansi Flick’s wing at Barcelona this time period. Although the Brazilian is extra of a pure playmaker than Newcastle’s man, there’s little query that there are similarities between the 2.

Each gamers have been clutch for his or her sides this season, Barnes rising into his more and more talismanic function in current weeks following Gordon’s suspension, picked up towards Brighton & Hove Albion throughout that bitter FA Cup defeat.

Each huge forwards are among the many most statistically prolific gamers of their divisions, with each athletically outstanding but opting towards the sort of unrelenting runs and artistic passes that others produce. As a substitute, they preserve their vitality, use their intelligence to pick teammates or strike on aim on the excellent second.

Barnes won’t have loved his counterpart’s consistency, however FBref file that data-wise they’re comparable, a testomony to the England worldwide’s high quality. It is thrilling to assume that with additional success over the approaching weeks, he would possibly certainly end the season as one of the talked-about stars.

In fact, the United star may be among the finest huge gamers in English soccer proper now however Raphinha has really been dubbed “Europe’s greatest participant” throughout the 2024/25 marketing campaign by Sky Sports activities’ Dougie Critchley.

Barcelona would hardly wish to promote such a famous person however are financially troubled and have been reported to have listed him at €100m (roughly £86m) as suitors start to circle.

All of it simply goes to point out how staggering the venture that Howe has created at St. James’ Park actually is.

Newcastle had been considering signing the La Blaugrana sensation final summer season however opted towards it in the long run resulting from PSR considerations. Maybe they are going to be among the many crowd of contenders this summer season, for inevitably the golf equipment will line up for a participant so proficient, so in-form.

Nevertheless, with Barnes already within the combine, alongside a dynamic and lethal frontline, followers will not lose any sleep if it does not come to play. They have already got their very own model of the £86m-rated star.