Former Newcastle United star Ayoze Perez has been in incredible form for Villarreal this season.
It has been six years since Ayoze Perez left Newcastle United for £30m to join Premier League rivals Leicester City.
Ayoze Perez spent five years as a Newcastle United player between 2014 and 2019, where he scored 48 goals in 195 appearances for the club.
During his time as a Leicester player, Perez was booed at St James’ Park when he returned to Tyneside but he insisted there were “no hard feelings” between him and supporters after the match.
The 31-year-old forward now plays in Spain having joined Villarreal in 2021 – his form has been extremely impressive.
Photo by DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ayoze Perez ‘magic’ praised at Villarreal
After completing his move in 2024, Perez made a brilliant start at Villarreal after featuring in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.
Having scored 11 goals for Real Betis in the 2023/24 season, Perez has gotten even better since moving to Villarreal.
On Sunday, Perez scored and assisted for Villarreal as they beat Getafe 2-1 in La Liga. It was Perez’s 15th goal in just 23 appearances this season.
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After the full-time whistle, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo picked the former Newcastle forward out as the best player on the pitch and said “Ayoze’s magic” proved to be the difference.
They gave him a three-star rating for his display – the joint-highest of any player on the pitch. WhoScored also named Perez in the La Liga Team of the Week for his impressive performance.
The numbers behind Ayoze Perez’s masterclass
Perez wanted to return to Newcastle at some point in his career but he seems to be enjoying life back in Spain.
Villarreal are chasing down a Champions League qualification spot in La Liga – there’s a chance they could face Newcastle in the competition if Eddie Howe’s side achieves a top-five finish.
Minutes played 90
Goals 1
Assists 1
Shots attempted 2
Touches 58
Passes completed 71% (20/28)
Key passes 2
Duels won 50% (8/16)
Dribbles completed 50% (2/4)
READ MORE: Ayoze Perez assures Newcastle fans not to worry about £38m transfer
Perez is key to their Champions League chase, and his match stats from Sunday only add to how impressive he has been.
Perez’s strong goalscoring run means he sits sixth in the La Liga scoring charts – just one goal behind Barcelona’s Raphinha.