Players of Newcastle United huddle prior to a Premier League match. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Aston Villa thrashed Newcastle United 4-1 at home in the Premier League yesterday, and BBC pundit Pat Nevin has questioned the performance of Joelinton in the game.
The Brazilian is a key player for Newcastle, and he has contributed at both ends of the pitch throughout the season. However, he looked quite mediocre against Aston Villa, and he was clearly avoiding getting into tackles during the game.
Nevin believes that the fact he had picked up a yellow card made the player nervous when it came to tackling. Newcastle suffered defensively against Aston Villa, and Joelinton failed to make the desired impact.
“Joelinton is having much less of an impact in the game, it is very noticeable,” Nevin said on BBC.
“He is on a yellow card so he is scared to make another challenge. There have been a few moments where he would normally stick a tackle in but he has almost jumped out of them because he does not want another yellow.”
Joelinton will look to bounce back
The Brazilian will be fully aware of his disappointing performance, and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back strongly in the upcoming match. He has impressed consistently this season.
Newcastle have had an impressive season so far, and they have managed to win the English League Cup. They will be desperate to secure Champions League qualification this season.
They are currently third in the league table, despite the defeat against Aston Villa. However, they cannot afford to slip up at this stage of the season. Manchester City and Chelsea are breathing down their necks, and Newcastle must look to win their remaining matches if they want to compete in the Champions League next season.
