Andy Carroll was in terrifyingly effective form for Newcastle United on Saturday.
On the chalkboard
The striker may have been on the losing side at St James’ Park, as Steve Bruce’s side lost 2-1 to Everton, but Carroll rolled back the years with a dominant performance up front.
Paired with Joelinton in a 3-5-2, he did have the ball in the net in the first-half, only to be ruled offside. He made up for it, though, laying on the assist for Fabian Schar’s goal, as he nodded down an excellent free-kick delivery to allow the defender to stab the ball home.
Of course, he was dispossessed in the build-up to Newcastle’s second goal but that was more the fault of a lack of options to pass to than any kind of error on Carroll’s part.
To examine his statistics is to see a genuinely awesome performance, particularly in the air.
Per WhoScored, he won a staggering 24 aerial duels. Schar won the second-most aerials, with seven. Carroll, simply, was unstoppable when the ball came anywhere near him at head-height.
He also completed both of the dribbles he attempted and managed to get five shots on goal.
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Bruce vindicated
While Newcastle didn’t win the game, this performance from Carroll is encouraging for the Magpies.
He has now played in three of their last four games, registering two assists, and while he hasn’t scored, Bruce should feel vindicated in his decision to bring him back to the northeast during the summer.
It was a risk – he started just three Premier League games for West Ham United last season – but he offers something that so few strikers in the Premier League do when he is fully fit.
That was on show against Everton and, if he can merely add a couple of goals here and there to his game, one feels that he could be something of a secret weapon for the Magpies.
He has to ensure that this performance is the start of something, rather than a brief reminder of what he used to be able to do.
Meanwhile, a Newcastle target has received glowing endorsements ahead of January.
