Joelinton would have been the most relieved man in Newcastle on Tuesday as he finally broke a 20-game goal duck, but he now must build on the showing against Rochdale.

On the chalkboard

Since his £40m arrival in the summer the striker has been a big disappointment in the north-east with just two goals and two assists to show from his 24 appearances.

It hasn’t been all his own doing, far from it in fact, as the Magpies have enjoyed the lowest average possession in the league with 39%, a factor which also contributes to a low xG rate that puts them bottom of the xG Premier League table.

Steve Bruce, therefore, has prevented his team making chances for the Brazilian, but Joelinton is also prone to missing gilt-edged chances time after time, with his miss against Leicester when he headed the ball backwards particularly laughable.

A goal against Rochdale is a positive but he has to start delivering in the Premier League, starting with Chelsea on Saturday, as his only valuable contribution of five aerials won per game is not enough to win games for his side, or to keep the Magpies up.

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Place in the team is under threat

Newcastle’s four strikers have all been equally disappointing this campaign with three goals between them, but as the regular starter Joelinton is the biggest underperformer, and the player most vulnerable to losing his place in the side.

Bruce has experimented by bringing Andy Carroll to the fore on occasion - starting him in four league games - but reports of interest growing in strikers suggest the Magpies’ boss is unhappy with his forward options.

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Players like Alfredo Morelos and Moussa Dembele have been linked with a move to St James’ Park, while Christian Benteke has also reportedly been offered to the club.

Standing at six foot three and with 4.4 aerial duels won per game the latter would particularly threaten Joelinton’s place in the side as a like-for-like replacement, while Morelos and Dembele have both been in prolific form for their clubs with 23 and 17 goals respectively this term.

Bringing in another striker would, therefore, place the 23-year-old under immense pressure, but he should already be starting to feel that as various reports have emerged this month.

The visit of Chelsea provides him with a good opportunity to prove he is good enough to lead the line for Bruce’s side, and if he can build on his Tuesday goal by finding the target again then his confidence should skyrocket, and he may just prove himself for Newcastle after all.

Meanwhile, our team of Football FanCast writers have offered their analysis on a potential arrival at St James' Park.