The American international has been impressing for Championship table-toppers Newcastle United this season.
As the run-in to the Championship season approaches, Newcastle United find themselves in a strong position at the top of the table – with the likelihood of an immediate return to the Premier League on the horizon.
Throughout the campaign there has been plenty of coverage regarding the goals of Dwight Gayle, the midfield displays of Jonjo Shelvey and the consistent defensive pairing of Ciaran Clark and captain Jamaal Lascelles – all justifiable commentary in their own right.
However, one player that has perhaps flown under the radar is full back DeAndre Yedlin. The former Sunderland loanee was signed from Tottenham Hotspur last summer and has certainly proven to be a valuable addition to the Newcastle squad – with his marauding runs along the Magpies’ right hand side being a major threat and frequent occurrence.
Further to the visuals of Yedlin’s Championship appearances this season, statistics from Opta also present the Seattle native in a favourable light when compared to his team mates. From the players in Rafa Benitez’s squad that have played more league games than Yedlin, no-one has a better ‘Points Per Game’ figure – with the American achieving an impressive 2.39 points for every game played. (Note – these statistics are prior to this weekend’s game).
| Position | Won | Lost | PointsPer Game | MinutesPer Assist | MinutesPer Cross | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeAndre Yedlin | DF | 17 | 2 | 2.39 | 63.69 | 29.05 |
| Yoan Gouffran | MF | 23 | 4 | 2.31 | 90 | 75.48 |
| Ciaran Clark | DF | 22 | 5 | 2.22 | 475.67 | 951.33 |
| Jack Colback | MF | 16 | 4 | 2.22 | 161.1 | 179 |
| Jonjo Shelvey | MF | 22 | 6 | 2.15 | 42.18 | 19.87 |
| Jamaal Lascelles | DF | 24 | 7 | 2.14 | 507.5 | 1,522.5 |
| Christian Atsu | MF | 16 | 5 | 2.13 | 54.5 | 23.7 |
| Isaac Hayden | MF | 18 | 7 | 2.07 | 68.45 | 48.41 |
| Paul Dummett | DF | 23 | 8 | 2.06 | 135.39 | 37.98 |
| Mohamed Diamé | MF | 18 | 6 | 2.03 | 78.63 | 89.86 |
| Matt Ritchie | MF | 22 | 8 | 2.03 | 42.01 | 12.96 |
| Ayoze Pérez | FW | 17 | 7 | 1.96 | 49.38 | 35.72 |
| Dwight Gayle | FW | 16 | 8 | 1.89 | 100.53 | 112.35 |
Yedlin, who began his career in Major League Soccer before a move to English football, also has the lowest stat for the number of losses, as Newcastle have only lost two of Yedlin’s 23 appearances for the club – with the attacking right back featuring in 17 victories (and four draws) from his 23 games.
Considering that Yedlin is deployed in defence, his data for assists and crosses also rates close to the likes of offensive trio Shelvey, Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie – and superior to midfielders Mohamed Diame, Isaac Hayden and Jack Colback.
Though others may be more regularly discussed when proposing the Magpies’ very best, there is undeniably a strong case to be made for the US international.
Just how important is DeAndre Yedln to Newcastle’s set-up? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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