Newcastle United’s three-game winning run in the Premier League came to an end on Sunday when they were beaten 1-0 by Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Rafael Benitez’s side as they failed to convert their chances, eventually succumbing to defeat following Tomer Hemed’s second-half goal.
The supporters criticised a number of players, including Christian Atsu and Ayoze Perez, but one member of the team impressed, and that was Mikel Merino.
The 21-year-old moved to St James’ Park in the summer on a season-long loan deal from Borussia Dortmund.
Throughout the entire 2016-17 season, the midfielder made just eight appearances in the Bundesliga, but he has already made six in the Premier League for Newcastle.
Merino put in a solid display at the weekend, but his teammates around him could not help change the result, which has left the Magpies ninth in the table.
Despite the defeat, fans singled out Merino for praise on Twitter.