Chris Wood has been backed to go on a goalscoring run at Newcastle United following his goal against Southampton last week. The Kiwi striker is on standby to play against Chelsea at St James' Park today should Callum Wilson be ruled out.
Wood scored his first Premier League goal in almost seven months at St Mary's last Sunday, his fourth for the club since his £25m move from Burnley in January. But despite his lack of goals at St James' Park, former Burnley boss Sean Dyche has claimed that Wood has often hit the goal trail after a barren spell.
Dyche told talkSPORT: "Woody goes through spells [of not scoring goals]. But when he comes back through it - you know he scored the other week - does that now start him off again?
READ NEXT: 'Looks good' - The big Alexander Isak boost for Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe this week
"We'll see. But he's the type of player, when he does get it right, he does score goals."
Wood scored 53 goals across his four-and-a-half year spell at Turf Moor - hitting a personal record 14 top-flight goals in 2019/20. The New Zealand international scored just four times in his first 22 appearances the following campaign, before embarking on a run of eight goals in as many games.
That goal scoring run included his only Premier League hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in April 2021. The 30-year-old has averaged 0.21 goals per 90 since his arrival on Tyneside and has never scored in back-to-back games for the club.
READ NEXT
- Everything Eddie Howe said on Chelsea, Callum Wilson, injuries and World Cup squad
- Graham Potter already knows that Newcastle are 'pumped and ready' for Chelsea as he shows class
- Newcastle have already been 'paid back' £10m with smart transfer after Eddie Howe got ruthless
- Newcastle get bonus before Chelsea, untouchable found and the penalty bravery Howe will love
- Crystal Palace point to £126.5m Newcastle subs even after Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman miss
