Key stat justifies why Eddie Howe always starts £13m Newcastle United player

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United’s defence might look very different right now had Eddie Howe got his summer wish.

The Magpies tried desperately to sign another centre-back during the summer transfer window, with Marc Guehi the club’s top target.

Paul Mitchell tried to sign Guehi for Newcastle, but was unable to strike a deal with Crystal Palace.

That was a real blow, with Guehi lined up to be Fabian Schar’s long-term replacement.

However, it is unclear what his role would have been in the short-term. Would he have replaced Schar straight away, or sat on the bench? Alternatively, he could have played alongside Schar, with Guehi just as good as a left-sided centre-back as he is a right-sided centre-back.

But that would have resulted in Dan Burn being out of the team, or being forced to play left-back where he struggled last season.

Dan Burn is up there with the Premier League’s best

With Newcastle not signing Guehi, Howe has opted to play Schar and Burn together at centre-back, with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles out of action due to injury. Emil Krafth has also featured, with the Swede coming into the side during Schar’s suspension.

Burn has started every Premier League game for the Magpies, and looks revitalised at the heart of the Magpies’ defence.

He has enjoyed a very good start to the season, and a key stat sums up how important he is to Howe’s team.

In the entire Premier League, only three players have won more aerial duels this season.

It is no surprise that Burn is dominant in the air given how tall he is. In terms of centre-backs, only Van Dijk is outperforming him. But that also showcases why Howe is always keen to have the 32-year-old in his team.

He is Newcastle’s most commanding presence in the air, and that is a valuable skill when defending set pieces and dealing with long balls.

While Burn can often get criticised for his lack of pace, his ability in the air makes him such an important player for Newcastle United. It is a key reason why Howe played Burn at left-back when Schar and Botman struck up their partnership in the middle of defence. Neither of them are as good as Burn in the air, and dropping him from the side would have severely weakened Newcastle.

Newcastle target Marc Guehi also shining in the air

Interestingly, Marc Guehi also ranks high this season when it comes to winning aerial duels.

He has won 23 so far, which is the sixth highest in the entire Premier League. That is very impressive when you consider that it is possibly the weakest part of Guehi’s game.

That stat will encourage Howe, who may well be eager for Newcastle to try and sign him again in January.

It has been reported that Newcastle could make a fresh move for Guehi, who is currently away on international duty with England. However, Newcastle have played down talk of a cut price deal for Guehi.