Newcastle’s outstanding 3-1 victory over the top home team in the Premier League helped them overcome their struggles with away form.
Despite Newcastle’s triumph, McCoist was eager to note during TNT Sports commentary that Bruno Guimaraes had a relatively quiet evening in the middle of the field.
McCoist thought Newcastle’s star man wasn’t at his best
In the past two years, there have been instances where Bruno has single-handedly carried Newcastle through games, showcasing his exceptional ball control and determination to propel the team forward. However, his performance in the most recent game wasn’t among his best individual displays, despite the overall team’s effectiveness in neutralizing Villa’s key players and their typical style of play.
This, however, is not a cause for concern for Eddie Howe, who maintains full confidence in the Brazilian international. Bruno is expected to strive to return to his peak form swiftly, especially with another significant Premier League match on the horizon this weekend.
Despite the quieter performance, it’s worth noting that McCoist, in his commentary, acknowledged Bruno’s effectiveness, describing the evening as “quite effective,” even though it lacked the usual flair of seeing him distribute those trademark passes.
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Newcastle still on the verge of midfield crisis
Although Newcastle excelled in the midfield last night, Alexander Isak’s injury serves as a warning that things can change drastically for this team very quickly.
With Bruno still one yellow card away from a two-game suspension, Newcastle only has three recognized central midfield players available and fit, so Howe will be keeping that in the back of his mind.
After Sandro Tonali’s suspension, they’ve been trying to find a solution to this issue for a few months, but they don’t have the money to bring in any reinforcements, so it appears that Newcastle will conclude January with nearly the same roster they started with.