Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey has been applauded as part of Sky Sports’ power rankings, with the midfielder noted to be enjoying a ‘renaissance’ in form.
Shelvey struck his third goal in as many games when he pulled the score level at home to Southampton on Sunday, following previous hits against Manchester City and Sheffield United.
The 6-cap former England international had never scored in successive appearances for the Toon across all competitions before his back-to-back efforts in the last few weeks, as he moved atop our Premier League goal chart – three clear of joint-second men Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and Jetro Willems.
Shelvey had endured a mixed start to the campaign as the first-team adapted to life under Steve Bruce, with the former Liverpool and Swansea City midfielder benched after the first two league games and again overlooked following appearances in Matchdays five and six.
He has now become instrumental to how the Toon operates under Bruce, and Sky Sports have realised what our captain has been delivering at St. James’ Park and on the road by placing Shelvey second overall in their power rankings.
Only Tottenham Hotspur’s talismanic striker Harry Kane has been awarded a greater performance score, having scored twice from three shots on target against Burnley last time out, on a day he also created one big chance, took three touches in the Claret box and assisted a goal.
Is Shelvey now a guaranteed starter?
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Shelvey was not the only Toon man on the rise this weekend, as Sky Sports also acknowledged Fernandez’s game-winning hit against the Saints as they moved the £6.3million-rated Argentine up to 14th, ahead of Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
Fernandez started his seventh-straight league game on Sunday at home to Southampton, and showed great instincts to follow in Sean Longstaff’s shot which Alex McCarthy would parry in the closing stages.
But Sky Sports’ latest power rankings are not all positive for the Magpies, as Martin Dubravka has slipped to 22nd and Willems is down to 48th, with just 35 points all that separates the Eintracht Frankfurt loanee and 50th-placed Lewis Dunk of Brighton & Hove Albion.
In other Newcastle United news, the club have issued an update on a 21-year-old’s future after a challenging start to the campaign.