The player who looked like Almiron for Newcastle vs. West Brom

In their draw today vs. West Brom, Newcastle United played their first match since losing Miguel Almiron to a knee injury vs. Wolves. While they will miss their Paraguayan star until his return in April, a young player stepped up and showed a similar skillset today.

Joe Willock played at the top of the midfield group for a large portion of the match and was arguably Newcastle’s best player on the day. It was another solid performance from the young midfielder as he finally gets consistent match time in the Premier League.

Just like Almiron does, Willock often picked up possession in the midfield and drove forward with the ball at his feet. He was able to hold off defenders and try to either create for a teammate or take a shot himself, forcing a second-half save on the day.

On the opposite end, the 21-year-old was very willing to track back and put in some quality defensive work vs. the Baggies.

This 21-year-old played a similar role to Newcastle United’s injured star, Miguel Almiron.

The Arsenal loanee scored in his debut for Newcastle United, but despite his quality play, he hasn’t registered a goal or an assist since that win vs. Southampton. That actually makes his scope within Newcastle even more similar to Almiron.

If you look at Miggy’s stats, they don’t paint the full picture of his impact for Newcastle United. He’s a high-energy player that is crucial when the club’s playing well and keeps them in the match when they are struggling. Willock seems like he can have a similar role, especially while Almiron is on the sidelines.