Newcastle United have blistering speed in attack, and it almost gave them victory over Aston Villa.
Anthony Elanga got the chance to showcase his speed to the Newcastle United fans, racing in behind in the first half after a wonderful pass by Sandro Tonali. Sadly, Elanga’s shot on goal was saved.
But it was an early indication of his speed, while Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes had plenty of chances to stretch their legs too.
Eddie Howe’s forward line is blessed with incredible pace, but it was actually one of his substitutes that recorded the fastest speed at Villa Park.
Will Osula runs after the ball during Aston Villa vs Newcastle United.
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Will Osula was Newcastle United’s fastest player
You would expect Elanga or Gordon to be the fastest player in the Newcastle United squad, but it could actually be Will Osula.
He took top spot this weekend, despite only coming off the bench in the 90th minute.
During his stoppage time cameo, Osula clocked a speed of 34.2km per hour. That made him the second fastest player in the entire Premier League so far this season, behind Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli.
The Magpies also had the fifth fastest Premier League player this weekend, with Gordon recording a speed of 33km per hour.
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Elanga was not too far behind. His fastest speed against Aston Villa was 32.7km per hour, which puts him 10th in the Premier League.
Gabriel Martinelli 34.5km/h
Will Osula 34.2km/h
Wilson Isidor 34.2km/h
Jeremie Frimpong 33.7km/h
Anthony Gordon 33.0km/h
Will Osula was not trusted against Aston Villa
It was a bright cameo from Osula. He stretched the Aston Villa defence and got into some really dangerous positions, while he tried his best to break the deadlock.
However, Osula did not have much time to make an impact. Howe only gave Osula six minutes of action, which speaks volumes.
Newcastle United were crying out for a striker at Villa Park, yet the 22-year-old was only trusted to play the final few minutes. He spent most of the afternoon sat on the bench, while his fellow striker Alexander Isak spent the day at home.
Newcastle’s draw with Aston Villa summed up the desperate striker situation on Tyneside. And while Osula might have pace, Howe clearly does not think he is the answer to the club’s problems.