Newcastle United put aside their Premier League struggles and eased to a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club in the Champions League to lift spirits at St James' Park.
The Magpies have endured a torrid time domestically and put in one of the worst performances of the Eddie Howe era on Sunday when they suffered a shock 3-1 defeat to West Ham United. Howe admitted after that game that he could have brought anyone off and it seems his grim assessment worked a treat.
Dan Burn opened the scoring with a brilliant 11th-minute header before Joelinton also got his head on the ball to put his side two-nil ahead four minutes into the second half. The Brazilian midfielder has come under fire as of late for some haphazard showings, but he deserved his goal, which could prove to be a turning point for himself and Newcastle's season.
Newcastle 2-0 Athletic Club - Joelinton Rises To The Occasion
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Joelinton enjoyed a fine night in front of the Toon Army, who may well have been concerned about his recent form —a major worry that had fans questioning whether he deserves to continue as a starter. He was particularly poor in the defeat to West Ham, and some pondered whether Howe should turn to Jacob Ramsey due to the Brazilian's woes.
The 29-year-old showed hunger to bounce back with the kind of performance that had the supporters waxing lyrical last season. He didn't just take his goal well, but he was a dominant presence in the middle of the park, winning three of seven ground duels and two of three tackles.
Joelinton, who made his stance over Alexander Isak clear in the summer, rubbished murmurs that he might need replacing by doing his talking on the pitch against the Spanish side. Howe will be eager for his confidence and form to continue improving as he looks to guide the Tyneside giants out of a gloomy period.
Howe knows all too well how important it is for the Brazil international to be in high spirits, as he was arguably the catalyst behind his career renaissance. The English coach transformed a then stuttering centre forward into a domineering midfielder who has been a key man throughout his manager's reign at St James'.
Camavinga Bid? Newcastle Transfer Talk Should Wake Joelinton Up
Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga
Howe highlighted that Joelinton's goal was something the team had worked on in training, aiming to have the Brazilian arrive late in the box. It paid dividends to help Newcastle get back to winning ways after a hellish few weeks of Premier League football.
The rumor mill has thrown up speculation over the club's transfer chiefs dipping into the market either in January or next summer for a new midfielder. That will likely have Joelinton looking over his shoulder if the recruitment staff opt to bring a new face to Tyneside.
Reports claimed in September that the Magpies were eyeing an audacious move for Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga, who you'd expect to directly replace Joelinton. Those links haven't gone away amid reports in Spain (via Fichajes) suggesting the club has even made a tentative offer of €70m (£60m) for the Frenchman who has come in and out of Xabi Alonso's side this season.
Regardless of whether a bid has been made for Camavinga, there's no doubt that Joelinton needs to kick on and continue to replicate such performances to help Howe drive his troops back up the Premier League table. That starts on Sunday when they make the trip to London to face a tricky Brentford side whose midfield bested defending champions Liverpool two weeks ago.