Newcastle United reporter Liam Kennedy was left stunned by Callum Wilson’s return to the team having returned from injury.
The 30-year-old made his comeback on Sunday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium with a 22-minute cameo from the bench as the Toon suffered a heavy defeat.
Would you start Wilson against Arsenal?
Yes
No
It has been a difficult campaign for the Newcastle striker having suffered an almost season-ending injury back in December against Manchester United.
However, with just a handful of games remaining, Wilson is now back in Eddie Howe’s squad and has a week to rest until their next game against Arsenal.
And it was apparent the Toon’s top scorer this season had impressed Kennedy with his brief cameo against the league leaders after replacing Chris Wood:
“Callum Wilson was very lively. It was amazing to see a player play on the shoulder and run in behind where we’ve seen so much of how easy it is for Premier League defenders to defend against Chris Wood where everything is all in front of them.
“Chris Wood missed a fantastic chance today. I think you’ve got to say with the final two games of the season, if Wilson’s fit enough, which he looks in fantastic shape physically, looks like he’s been bang in the gym, getting stuck in his recovery. If he’s fit and stays as fit as he looks today then he’s got to start the final two games this season.”
TIF Thoughts on Kennedy’s comments…
It was obviously a difficult game for the Magpies against a City side who came into the game with a point to prove and the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table.
And in Wood’s 68-minute display, the New Zealand international only managed to land one shot on target and touched the ball just 20 times (via SofaScore).
However, in just over 20 minutes, Wilson was able to match Wood’s shot on target and managed half the touches in around a third of the time as Wood.
With just over a week between the City trip and the Arsenal game, we do wonder whether Wilson will now return to Howe’s starting XI.
In other news: ‘He’s close…’ – Journalist reacts to huge Newcastle hint