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Newcastle United suffered an excruciating 3-0 defeat to Everton on Thursday night, meaning the Magpies failed to capitalise on Tottenham Hotspur’s loss to West Ham United and remain below Manchester United in the Premier League table.
Injuries and inconsistency have been the story of Newcastle’s season so far, with the former being the catalyst for the latter. The players are dropping like flies at the moment and just when head coach Eddie Howe thought he was getting some first-team members back from training, Jamaal Lascelles limped off at Goodison Park and had to be replaced by Emil Krafth.
Nevertheless, there is one player capable of filling the 30-year-old’s boots against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon should he join the lengthy injury list – Paul Dummett.
Jamaal Lascelles’ stats this season
Having been a constant starter for Newcastle ever since joining the club at the beginning of the 2014/15 season for £7m, Lascelles found himself knocked down the pecking order when Sven Botman was brought to St. James’ Park in 2022 for £32m. The experienced centre-back made merely 11 appearances in all competitions, including just seven in the Premier League.
Since making his debut for the Geordie outfit, Lascelles’ minutes significantly dipped in the previous campaign, pinpointing exactly when Botman arrived to take his place in the lineup.
Jamaal Lascelles at Newcastle United
Season
Appearances
Minutes
2015/16
24
1,693
2016/17
47
3,978
2017/18
35
3,048
2018/19
34
2,846
2019/20
29
2,526
2020/21
21
1,762
2021/22
27
2,146
2022/23
11
463
2023/24
15
1,272
Stats via Transfermarkt
Lascelles has already made around three times the number of appearances this season as he did last term. One of the primary reasons for this is that Botman suffered a long-term injury back in September. However, the former England U21 international’s recent performances have proved to Howe that he still has a future with Newcastle.
This season, Lascelles has held his own defensively against all centre-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues. The Englishman is sitting in the top 7% for aerial duels won per 90 and the top 19% for shots blocked per 90, according to FBref. The centre-half has done well to fill in during Botman’s absence but now could potentially face a spell on the sidelines himself.
Paul Dummett’s stats this season
Paul Dummett has nor been a key player for the Magpies since Rafa Benitez left the club in 2019. However, despite only making seven appearances across the last three seasons, Howe handed the Welshman a new contract during the summer which will keep him at St. James’ Park until July of next year.
Dummett’s game time since Benitez’s final season in charge has been pretty dismal, posing questions about Howe’s decision to hand the defender back-to-back one-year contract extensions.
Paul Dummett at Newcastle United
Season
Appearances
Minutes
2018/19
26
1,986
2019/20
17
1,241
2020/21
16
1,376
2021/22
3
198
2022/23
1
90
2023/24
3
184
Stats via Transfermarkt
The 6 ft defender has featured a little more this time around than in the previous campaign, making two full appearances in the EFL Cup, although he has seen merely four minutes of action in the Premier League this term, not starting a single game in the top flight.
Now, Howe may have to rely on the 32-year-old if Lascelles is out injured, although, the manager previously labelled Dummett as “absolutely outstanding”, so perhaps he will not mind.
Unlike Lascelles, Dummett is left-footed and could slot seamlessly in at the back alongside the right-footed Fabian Schar to form a perfectly symmetrical defensive partnership. The last time the 6 foot titan started a game was in a 3-0 away win over Manchester United in the EFL Cup at the beginning of November. Dummett was superb at the back, making five clearances, and winning 80% of his aerial duels and 100% of his ground duels.
Howe may have to call upon the experienced centre-back but Dummett will be ready to put a shift in with his heart on his sleeve, as he always is, against Spurs today.
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