At the start of the season, Kenedy was not the same man who performed so well last season.
The Brazilian looked shot of confidence, and nothing would come off for him. He would give the ball away cheaply and in dangerous areas. He would even miss a last minute penalty.
But since the game against Manchester United, Kenedy has been on the road to redemption.
Crucial comeback for Kenedy
The Chelsea loanee scored a brilliant goal at Old Trafford, and it was a strike that gave him his mojo back.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen Kenedy get better and better. Finally we are starting to get last season’s Kenedy back.
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He arrived in January on loan, and immediately proved to be a worthy acquisition, helping keep Newcastle in the Premier League.
It looked essential that we got him back this year, which is why there was such hysteria when a season-long loan deal was confirmed.
12 games in and he is once again proving his worth, and why he will be crucial to any success Newcastle have.
The Magpies have often lacked creativity, but the 22-year-old has that Samba flair to turn a game in a moment. He did that on Saturday, delivering a perfect cross for Salomon Rondon to head home his second of the game.
It was a much more consistent performance from Kenedy against Bournemouth. He was creative, and had that arrogance he possesses, but was able to use the ball well.
He trusts the players around him, rather than trying to do everything himself.
Saturday’s game looked like the final piece of the jigsaw for Kenedy, and hopefully now he can really kick on and continue to prove why we needed him back.