Jonjo Shelvey – Midfielder
The 26-year-old English midfielder is a mainstay in the centre of the park for Newcastle. He has made six starts this seasons and has played all 90 minutes in each match.
Despite not putting up impressive goal and assist totals taking a closer look you can quickly tell he is the engine that runs the Newcastle attack. Through six matches he averages 58.8 passes per match and completes them at a success rate of 68.6%. He also loves the long ball which has been known to give Saints defenders fits in the past. He completes an average of 8.7 long balls per match.
The Newcastle man is also not afraid to take on a shot, attempting just under two a match, despite not scoring yet this season.
On the other side of the ball, Shelvey is no slouch on defense. He is a physical midfielder who is capable of making tackles and regaining position for his side. The Englishman averages nearly 3 tackles a match to go along with about an interception per match as well. The Saints will have their handful with Jonjo Shelvey all afternoon and if he is allowed space to create and pick out teammates it could be bad news for the home team.