Why Allan Saint Maximin is so important to Newcastle United
Newcastle have missed Allan Saint Maxmin’s ability to break down defences since his injury.
For the second game in a row, Newcastle dominated their opposition but were held to a frustrating draw and without Allan Saint Maximin in attack, Eddie Howe’s side look feeble going forward.
Bournemouth came to St James’ Park with a game plan and almost executed it to perfection, sitting deep and looking to catch Newcastle out on the counter and expose space in behind the defence in transition after winning the ball.
Newcastle controlled the game as expected, having 73% possession and 20 shots at the Bournemouth goal but with only six being on target, the Magpies struggled to penetrate the away side's stubborn defensive structure.
The starting lineup featured Ryan Fraser and Miguel Almiron, on the left and right wing respectively, but the pair were responsible for only two Shot Creating Actions (the two offensive actions directly leading to a shot) between them, compared to Saint Maximin’s average of 3.81 per 90 minutes.
Fraser and Almiron failed to create many chances in the absence of Saint Maximin.
The Frenchman creates an exceptional amount of chances for his teammates.
The lack of service to Alexander Isak during the game was alarming, as the new record signing fed off scraps, not managing to have a shot registered until his goal from the spot in the 67th minute.
Isak is still yet to play with Saint Maximin and with the Frenchman’s creativity, it is certain that the young Swede would have more opportunities and clear cut chances presented his way.
Again, Newcastle lacked a real quality in the final third, quality that Saint Maximin would’ve been able to provide had he been available.
This has been a repeating theme when the tricky French winger is missing, with Newcastle only scoring an average of 0.6 goals per game in his absence this season compared to an average of 1.5 goals per game when he plays.
His performances against Manchester City, providing two assists and winning the free kick for Kieran Trippier’s goal, and Wolves, scoring the sensational equaliser late on, show how he can single-handedly win his side points, even in the toughest of games.
His capability to beat defenders and create chances out of nothing is exceptional, and whilst his figures for goals and assists don’t necessarily show his quality, the underlying stats certainly do.
On average he attempts 7.41 dribbles per 90, with 4.41 of those being successfully completed, a stat which he is in the top 99 percentile of European wingers for, showcasing his sensationally unique ability on the ball.
Saint Maximin boasts remarkable dribbling stats.
The ability that he possesses often means that the only way defenders can stop him is by fouling him, with the Frenchman drawing 2.34 fouls per 90 and with free kick takers like Kieran Trippier on his side, this allows for a huge advantage when this works out well.
He averages 1.64 Carries into the Penalty Area per 90 as he often looks to create chances for himself or his fellow attackers, a skill that would’ve massively helped his side in the stalemate against Bournemouth.
That Bournemouth performance highlighted the real weakness of the squad depth across the frontline, with Saint Maximin and Callum Wilson’s constant injury troubles, Newcastle must find a way of winning without them - and quickly.