The Magpies midfielder wasted a rare opportunity to impress under Rafa Benitez with a drab showing at Anfield.
Isaac Hayden isn’t having the best time at Newcastle United right now, having made a meagre six appearances in total this season – all in the Premier League – for a combined minute tally of just 234 minutes, according to Transfermarkt.
Given Ki Sung-yueng is on international duty with South Korea in the Asian Cup and Jonjo Shelvey wasn’t fully fit, Magpies boss Rafa Benitez handed the 23-year-old midfielder only his second PL start of the season in the Boxing Day meeting with Liverpool.
However, the statistics surrounding Hayden’s performance against the Reds do not make for pleasant reading, with Whoscored showing he took fewer touches and attempted or completed fewer passes (34) than Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker (36).
In total, Hayden completed just 10 successful passes during the match – worked out as 58.8% of 17 – and although forward Yoshinori Muto’s passing stats are worse during the game, it’s a worse indictment on the ex-Arsenal man, as he didn’t seem able to link up play between the back line and front line, cue a score of just 6.0.
Prior to the Premier League season getting under way, Hayden was reported to have handed a transfer request to Newcastle in hopes of securing a move further south for family reasons (Chronicle Live).
With 21-year-old Sean Longstaff having a better time of things in his 17 minutes on the pitch as a substitute, it may very well persuade Benitez that Hayden doesn’t have a future at St James’ Park and, with the January transfer window approaching, he could potentially leave.
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