OPINION
Manuel Pellegrini will be eager for his West Ham side to get back to winning ways against Newcastle United after suffering a heavy defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.
The Hammers were outclassed and suffered a 4-0 defeat the London Stadium as a result but the experienced manager would have always known that overcoming Pep Guardiola’s side would be a huge ask.
However despite the Magpies being on a three-game winning streak, the Hammers should be looking to at least get a point from their travels when they face Rafa Benitez’s side at St James Park.
In recent weeks several Magpies players have upped their game, but amongst that group wasn’t first-choice right-back DeAndre Yedlin.
The pacey flyer hasn’t really shone in his 11 league outings for the Magpies and appeared to keep his place just on the fact that Benitez doesn’t have tons of options to choose from in that position.
However on Monday night Yedlin looked like the player he was previously perceived to be ahead of Tottenham purchasing him from MLS side Seattle Sounders.
The 25-year-old speed demon terrorised Burnley and bordered on looking too much to handle as he constantly burst forward to aid his side’s attack.
Yedlin’s efforts should have been rewarded with an assist but Matt Ritchie fluffed his lines in what could go down as the miss of the season.
Pellegrini was surely watching the Magpies’ clash with Burnley given the Hammers have Benitez’s side next and Yedlin’s dramatic improvement must have left the boss with a headache.
Given that the Hammers look weak defensively down the left-flank as Felipe Anderson is exactly strong in that department and the two defenders that could possible play behind him at left-back are Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell.
Both Cresswell and Masuaku can’t be trusted to defend well as they’ve both been exposed at times this season by being dramatically out of position, and Yedlin could bypass them.
Especially if he is in similar form as he was against Burnley as it seemed ready to tear apart any team put in front of him and that includes the Hammers.
Therefore this means Yedlin’s display on Monday would have left Pellegrini with a headache as he now has to put together a plan to cope with the speed demon’s form continuing on Saturday.
