Matias Fernandez-Pardo has underlined exactly why Matthias Jaissle wanted him at Newcastle United with an eye-catching Premier League statistic.
The summer signing recorded 28 sprints during Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Hull City, more than any other player in the Premier League that weekend.
Newcastle highlighted the figure on their official social channels after the Belgian’s second consecutive league start.
The Mag also highlighted Newcastle’s official 28-sprint figure when analysing the forward’s relentless pressing against Hull.
Fernandez-Pardo showing Jaissle intensity
The statistic matters because Fernandez-Pardo was signed specifically with Jaissle’s high-intensity football in mind.
Newcastle described the Belgian as a direct, high-intensity forward when confirming his arrival from Lille on deadline day.
His output against Hull showed exactly what that looks like.
Fernandez-Pardo repeatedly pressed Hull’s defenders and goalkeeper while operating through the middle, forcing the visitors to make quicker decisions in possession.
That work may not appear on the scoresheet, but it played an important role in Newcastle’s aggressive start.
The Magpies scored twice inside seven minutes before eventually holding on for a 2-1 victory over Hull.
Newcastle still learning Fernandez-Pardo’s best role
There remains a wider positional question around the 21-year-old.
Fernandez-Pardo has already made clear that he prefers operating centrally, as we covered after he outlined his favoured Newcastle position.
Jaissle has subsequently trusted him through the middle during Newcastle’s injury problems.
Fernandez-Pardo is now away with Belgium during the international break, with our Newcastle international trackerfollowing his fixtures.
Goals and assists will ultimately determine how his £51million move is judged.
For now, his pressing numbers show he is already delivering one quality Jaissle clearly values.
