Yedlin offers strike force backing

DeAndre Yedlin has hailed the efforts of Newcastle’s strikers despite the fact they have scored only one goal between them so far this season. Joelinton’s winner at Tottenham at August 25 remains the £40million summer signing’s sole strike since his arrival from Hoffenheim, while Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin is also yet to open his account for Steve Bruce’s side.
Paraguay international Miguel Almiron has now gone 22 games without a goal since his £21million switch from Atlanta United in January.
Indeed, seven of the club’s last nine goals have come from defenders with Yedlin and Ciaran Clark, who is joint-top scorer with midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on two, firing the Magpies to a 2-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
However, the 26-year-old United States international Yedlin feels the attacking unit deserve praise for the hard work they do off the ball to keep Magpies in games this season.
He said: “A lot of people look at the attackers and think, ‘What are you doing?’. But what a lot of people don’t realise is the defensive work that strikers do for us. “They make the game a lot easier for us with their pressing and the way they push. They are doing a lot of the dirty work and deserve the credit as well. It goes a bit unnoticed, but it’s a massive help for us.”
It was Yedlin’s ability to get forward from right wing-back which dragged Newcastle back into Saturday’s game as he cancelled out Harry Wilson’s opener for the visitors with a spectacular diving header.
Clark’s close-range 52nd-minute strike ultimately won the day, but Yedlin’s effort – his third for the Magpies and his first at St James’ Park – proved a fitting way to atone for his error in the build-up to Wilson’s goal.
The Magpies now have to wait until November 25 before their next game when they make the trip to the West Midlands to face Aston Villa.