Newcastle United's return to the Champions League is so tantalisingly close.
With just five matches left of the club's 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Eddie Howe's men know that seven points from a possible 15 would be enough to secure a spot in the coveted continental competition, even if in-form Liverpool win their remaining four fixtures.
While this might seem more than attainable, tests against title-challenging Arsenal, high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea await, while an away encounter against relegation-threatened Leeds United could be a hectic and cacophonous occasion.
The overriding emphasis will be crossing the finish line in apt time and treading water above Jurgen Klopp's Reds and the Seagulls, who are both snapping at the heels of Howe's unit in third and Manchester United in fourth.
To ensure opponents are left with minimal opportunity to flourish and assert control into the remaining fixtures, wily winger Allan Saint-Maximin must be unleashed to add a fresh dimension to Howe's well-oiled outfit.
Should Howe unleash ASM?
When Saint-Maximin signed for Newcastle from Ligue 1 outfit Nice for a fee potentially rising to £20m in 2019, there was optimism surrounding a deal for an exciting and fleet-footed wide player, capable of blitzing even the most resilient of defences.
The enigmatic "wizard", as described by journalist Graeme Bailey, scored five goals and assists apiece in the previous campaign from 31 starts, and played an instrumental role in the transformative fortunes following the lucrative PIF takeover and Howe's appointment.
This season, with Newcastle on the rise, the Frenchman has been more of a utility figure at St. James's Park, starting only 11 times in the Premier League.
Despite this, Saint-Maximin has supplied five assists and scored one goal, but has definitely failed to live up to the "breathtaking" – in the words of Gary Neville – heights that left supporters awestruck across the past several seasons.
The £70k-per-week gem has been injured for the past five games after spending the early phases of the term hindered by muscular setbacks, but with an ostensible return in the coming days, he could return with an emphatic bang.
As per FBref, the maverick ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, as well as in the top 4% for rate of assists. Meanwhile, £63m talisman Alexander Isak is in such free-flowing form, scoring seven goals across his past seven league starts and ranking among the top 7% of forwards for rate of goals himself.
While Newcastle are in fine fettle and on track for a return to the Champions League after a 20-year absence – boasting eight wins from the past nine matches in the top flight in the process – with a testing run forthcoming, spicing up the starting ranks with Saint-Maximin's high-octane approach could add the desired dimension to cement this formidable new stature.