Only Bruno Fernandes has made more through-balls than Saint-Maximin

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Allan Saint-Maximin has now had a direct hand in all of Newcastle United’s last four goals as he continues to have an impressive season.

The Frenchman registered an assist with a simple pass to Sean Longstaff, who did the rest with a piledriver outside the box which gave Newcastle the lead against Watford at Vicarage Road at the weekend.

Longstaff could have doubled his goal tally and Saint-Maximin’s number of assists in the Watford match if he hadn’t blazed a volley over the bar which was in fairness slightly behind him.

It was very much a creative performance against the Hornets by Saint-Maximin.

The winger didn’t register a shot on Ben Foster’s goal, but he did create five chances for his teammates, which was more than any other player on the pitch (WhoScored).

Saint-Maximin the creator

The 24-year-old now has two goals and three assists from six Premier League matches. Only his compatriot Paul Pogba (7) has made more top-flight assists this season.

One area that the former Nice man is currently excelling in better than anyone apart from Bruno Fernandes in Europe’s top five leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) according to FBref is through-balls.

The football statistics site defines a through-ball as a completed pass sent between back defenders into open space.

Newcastle’s number 10 has registered five through-balls in the Premier League so far this season, which is only one fewer than Bruno Fernandes.

Saint-Maximin has made the same number of through-balls as Lyon’s Bruno Guimaraes and Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea.

The mercurial forward showcased his through-ball skills with a defence splitting pass in the dying stages against Watford to play in Jacob Murphy.

Unfortunately, for Saint-Maximin and Newcastle, Murphy’s finish wasn’t up to scratch, and it meant the wait for the Magpies’ first win of the season continued.

But Saint-Maximin is improving all the time and adding different parts to his game, and alongside his blistering pace and devastating dribbling skills, his eye for a pass and ability to release the ball at the right time is something he has added to his game.

If Saint-Maximin continues to open up defences and create opportunities at his current rate, then Newcastle’s chances of pulling away from the relegation zone stands in good stead.