WyAyeScout: Miguel Almirón's reinvention as a right-sided attacker

Miguel Almirón has played in a number of different roles at Newcastle United.

Since his arrival from Atlanta United in January 2019, the Paraguay international's enthusiasm, stamina and speed have made him a positionally flexible player for the Magpies. 

However, since the start of last season, Almirón has been earning more and more minutes on the right side of United's attack.

Almirón started 2021/22 playing in central midfield, staying there until October. He then dropped out of the starting eleven for a spell until returning to the line-up to play on the right side of the attack in the Magpies' first win of the season - the 1-0 victory against Burnley last December.

After dropping back to the bench at the start of 2022, Almirón returned to the side for the last-gasp defeat away to Chelsea in mid-March. This started a run as first choice on the right side of Newcastle's front three that would last until the end of the campaign.

A comparison of Almirón's performances before and after this game at Stamford Bridge is revealing. Consistent selection in the same position and role in the team was followed by an uplift in his performances.

From a low baseline in the first two-thirds of his season, Almirón increases the number of touches in the box, which leads to an uplift in the number of shots he takes and an increase in his expected goals (xG).

xG is a mathematical model that measures the likelihood of a shot being scored between 0 and 1, where 0 is no chance of scoring and 1 is a 100 per cent certainty of a goal.

It compares the characteristics - the distance and angle to the goal, the position of the defenders and goalkeeper, and the height of the ball at the moment it is struck - with thousands and thousands of historical examples to calculate an average likelihood of a chance being scored.

Generally speaking, shots taken closer to the goal, in central areas with fewer defensive players affecting the play and with the ball on the ground are more likely to result in a goal. 

Almirón's improvement here is best shown by how much more often he managed to take shots from inside of the box during the season run-in.

Almirón's increasing threat levels were rewarded with a stunning goal against Crystal Palace at St. James' Park in April.

Played in behind by a beautiful ball from January signing Bruno Guimarães uses his pace to get in behind, cuts back onto his left foot and delivers an unerring finish into the top corner.

A left-footed player on the right-hand side, as Almirón's grasp of his inside forward role improved, so did his efficiency in United’s build-up play. Up until mid-March, Almirón's energetic, hard-working playing style hadn't been harnessed to maximum effect.

This concentration of effort higher up the field resulted in Almirón playing a higher proportion of his passes in the final third. This resulted in Almirón completing the second-most final third passes in the entire Newcastle squad.

Ahead of the 2022/23 season Almirón's improved play from the right flank continued. He returned six goals and two assists across United's pre-season campaign, indicating that he was ready to start the new season as first choice.

Now settled into his role on the right of the front three, there have been even more marked improvements in Almirón's performances. As the team has transitioned to a more possession-orientated and higher pressing style - which we'll cover in more detail later this season - Almirón is finding himself in attacking positions more often.

Without the ball, his effort has also become more focused and - alongside his teammates - Almirón's efforts without the ball are more targeted and likely to create turnovers in areas that create opportunities to score.

With more possession and more aggression without the ball, we're starting to see an increased level of goalscoring threat from Almirón - who already has a goal to his name this season.

With increases in his output across the board, Almirón is above average for his position across the season so far in the Premier League, and has improved his threat again from the run-in at the end of the 21/22 season.

Since Eddie Howe's arrival, Almirón has found his role at Newcastle United, more than doubling the amount of threat he's providing to the team without losing his ball retention and defensive potency.

Wor Miggy's turnaround is a credit to the coaches and his own hard work.

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