Pundit raves about Newcastle United star who has 'gone to the next level' following win over Everton

That was the view of Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards following The Magpies’ 3-1 win at St James’s Park. While Richards praised Trippier's ‘outstanding’ goalscoring display, it was Allan Saint-Maximin who stood out to the former Manchester City right-back.

“Trippier was outstanding but the best player on the pitch was [Saint-]Maximin, by far, especially in the second half,” Richards said.

Saint-Maximin set-up Ryan Fraser’s goal to give Newcastle a 2-1 lead and was at his electrifying best throughout a memorable evening of football on Tyneside.

And Richards is glad he no longer has to worry about coming up against players like Saint-Maximin in the Premier League.

“From a right-back's perspective, I don't know how I would mark him,” he admitted. “You couldn't get tight to him because he gets in areas where you don't want to be. His acceleration is so good, he gets an assist and I'm watching this game thinking how would I play against someone with such good feet like that?

"Sometimes I don't think he knows which way he's going to go, his feet are so quick. All he needed was a goal.

“He's so hard to mark because if you show him wide he'll go down the outside like he did for the goal and if you show him outside he'll come inside and get shots off.

"He can get it in tight areas, turn, brush someone off and use his acceleration and his pace. For his progression in his game, he's just gone to the next level.”

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