The decision to start Joelinton on the left of Newcastle United's front three proved to be another shrewd by Eddie Howe as the Magpies battled to a 0-0 draw with Arsenal this week. Some may say it was an obvious call given the Brazilian's form of late, though a section of the Geordie faithful were hoping to see Joelinton drop back into midfield, subsequently allowing Allan Saint-Maximin to return from the outset at the Emirates.
Joelinton's defensive nous proved vital as the midfield powerhouse gave much-needed additional support to left-back Dan Burn as he struggled to cope with Bukayo Saka in the early stages of the tie. With Saint-Maximin's ability coming at the opposite end of the pitch, it was a wise decision by Howe to stick with a tried and tested system in the capital.
The Frenchman did enter the fray for the dying embers of the London stalemate, only enjoying a mere three touches of the ball between his 87th-minute introduction and the final whistle being blown.
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Joelinton is proving capable of playing in a number of different roles in Howe's team. While his exploits as an out and out striker yielded few results, the former Hoffenheim attacker is now seamlessly shifting between playing as a marauding, Patrick Vieira-esque midfielder and a dangerous attacker when used out on the left.
As Newcastle continue on their fine unbeaten run, Saint-Maximin is finding game time hard to come by. His brief cameo appearances from the bench are a far cry from this time last year when he was the go-to man on Tyneside.
This weekend's FA Cup clash with Sheffield Wednesday hands Howe a good opportunity to reintroduce the attacker from the start, with many recent starters in need of a breather. Though the Magpies boss wasn't giving anything away when quizzed over his line-up for the Hillsborough clash.
"We want to win the game and go through. We have another cup game a couple of days later," Howe told the media on Friday. "It's a later kick-off so there's a lot to think about. I haven't fully, as I sit here now, made my mind up on what team I would pick. I'm going to assess training today and then make a decision."
Saint-Maximin is facing a real battle to regain his place in the first XI. His stellar start to the season has faded in the memory of some supporters who are content with Howe sticking with the players doing the business.
However, the winger's response has been exactly as Howe and the fan base would have wanted. There has been no sulking or moaning Saint-Maximin, who instead has bought into his manager's mantra that the team comes first.
"Starting off this new year, I wanted to thank everyone for the support & for always believing in me, through the good and the bad," the Newcastle star tweeted this week. "As I begin a new chapter I will give my all as I always have for better days to come. I hope you guys are ready, the best is yet to come."
Saint-Maximin also made his feelings clear about his current predicament when speaking to Chronicle Live last month, as he explained how he was happy for his team-mate Joelinton. "I just keep working hard to be honest. I have nothing to say because the team win," he said in December.
"When the team win you just try to do everything when you come on, finally I am not important the team are more important than me. People like Joelinton really deserve to play because he helps in that position, I just have to work hard."
Saint-Maximin will fancy his chances of getting back into the fold as Newcastle continue to rise through the ranks. For now, he is working hard behind the scenes to make sure he grasps his opportunity.
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