Newcastle United have officially signed Brazilian international midfielder Bruno Guimarães from Lyon for £40million. Guimarães, 24, completed a medical in Brazil on Friday ahead of signing a contract at St James’ Park until 2026.
The Geordie club agreed a package of £33.3m plus around £6.5m in add-ons with French club Lyon to make the midfielder their third signing this January, following the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.
The midfielder will play for Brazil on Wednesday and will not be able to travel to the UK to meet his new team-mates and head coach Eddie Howe until Thursday at the earliest.
A player blessed with incredible footballing artistry, tactical understanding, and a tenacious edge that has recently had him lauded as one of the most complete central midfielders on the continent.
Bruno Guimarães holds all the attributes needed to spearhead Newcastle’s exciting era under their new Saudi ownership and their push for Premier League survival.
Guimarães moved to Lyon from Brazilian outfit Club Athletico Paranaense in January 2020 and went on to play 295 minutes in their run to the Champions League semi-finals, as the French club famously beat Italian champions Juventus and then English champions Man City before being knocked out by eventual winners Bayern Munich in the last four.
Since then, the 24-year-old midfielder has proven key figure for the French outfit producing some stunning individual displays in midfield, and alerting top clubs around Europe to his incredible gifts and abilities.
Clubs like Arsenal, Juventus and Manchester United have all been reportedly interested in the Brazilian services in recent years, but its Newcastle United who have swamped in and claimed arguably their most impressive signing over the last decade.
The Brazilian has recently been described as an “all-court midfielder, giving Newcastle a bit of everything they lack in the middle… almost a ‘No.6-plus'”. Guimarães’ heatmap during his time in France illustrates he is a defensive midfielder by trade, one tasked in recycling possession, breaking up opposition attacks and screening in front of his back four, but his abilities transcend all of those traits. He’s also a footballer blessed with the attributes, skill and uniqueness to venture forward whenever the opportunities arises with such unerring grace.
As evidenced in the stat below, Guimarães utilizes possession of the ball adeptly, finding his teammates in more dangerous areas as well as passing the ball smartly out of tight positions, so Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe will hope he has found the perfect solution to Newcastle’s ball-retention problems.
Bruno Guimarães has played more passes into the final third (226) than any other midfielder in Europe's top five leagues so far this season.
He is also just one of two players (with Bernardo Silva) to create 35+ chances, make 35+ tackles and complete 35+ take-ons. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/jRV4eSGkZv
Bruno Guimarães is not solely seen as a player who can aid Newcastle’s push for survival – although that is of course, the pressing concern – but the club have also the aim of making the Brazilian central and pivotal to their long-term project in making Newcastle United one of the most feared teams in the Premier League once again. Guimarães is the midfielder around whom the club want to build their ambitious plans.
No doubt about it, Newcastle’s starting XI will be considerably improved by the addition of a box-to-box type player who can break up play, link up with teammates, carry possession and, crucially when the going gets tough, help maintain it to relieve pressure. Newcastle’s ball retention issues have been evident all season, but Guimarães’ composure, craft and vision will begin to address that in abundance.
This season for Lyon, Guimarães has primarily operated as a double-pivot midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 alongside Maxence Caqueret which allows fluidity, control of possession through two players blessed in the art of keeping Lyon’s play flowing from deep areas. Guimarães suits various setups including Howe’s 4-3-3 preference, either as the deep-lying player in the no.6 role, or a free-roaming box-to-box player. As shown throughout this campaign, Guimarães has a versatile skill set on the ball.
Per FBref, his 87.2 touches per 90 puts him in the top 10 percent of midfielders in Ligue 1. Lyon favour a possession-heavy style as seen through their average possession 58.3% compared to Newcastle’s 38.5% – the Premier League’s lowest possession tally. However, possessing a player who likes to have the ball at his feet, Newcastle’s possession stats should grow considerably which means they won’t have to rely on just counter-attacks to score but also through fluid possession-style football.
Bruno Guimarães simply does not give the ball away. He’s completed 92.6% of his short passes for Lyon this season highlighting his incredible knack of setting the tempo for Lyon through quick neat and decisive passes.
He tops the ranking in Ligue 1 for passes completed in the opposition half and sits joint-top with Marseille’s Dimitri Payet for passes completed in the final third. The ability to find defence-splitting passes is illustrated by his high number of completed passes and chances created, while Guimaraes’ fouls won, and touches statistics show there are few more effective carriers of the ball than the Brazilian currently playing in France.
If you need any evidence of his metronomic abilities on the ball, you only need to check out his assist for Lucas Paqueta in the game against Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. Receiving possession, playing through PSG’s press, then advancing with the ball at his feet before caressing a delightful through over-the-top pass for his fellow Brazilian Paqueta to put Lyon in front.
Players like Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser will be delighted at the rate and quality in which Guimarães finds his teammates with similar passes.
This season for Lyon he sits in the top percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top-five leagues for his abilities on the ball alone. For progressive passes (7.91 per90 mins) he ranks in the top two percent of midfielders on the content, and for progressive carries (8.7 per90 mins) he ranks in the top 3 percent which is simply incredible, but a strong proof that Newcastle have not only signed a player who could help them gain survival this season, but a player who could quite simply transform their whole game under Eddie Howe.
Also, Guimarães averages 1.81 key passes and 8.23 final third passes per 90 this season meaning he is incredibly adept at unlocking opposition defences with such fine regularity, something Newcastle have desperately lacked for a number of years since they possessed the qualities of French midfielder Yohan Cabaye under Alan Pardew. Remember him?
A player blessed with pure artistry, incredible vision, wonderful range of passing that Newcastle are desperately crying out for right now, not to mention his knack for the eye-of-the-needle pass, a tenacious edge off-the-ball that makes Bruno Guimares the complete player. #NUFC
Given Guimarães’ excellent range of passing, he could complement or replace Jonjo Shelvey, Newcastle’s deep-lying playmaker who holds exquisite distribution like his new teammate but lacks the mobility, and tenaciousness when carrying possession. This season, no player in Ligue 1 has completed more progressive passes than Guimarães or passes into the final third.
Whilst also possessing the knack of playing key passes, the Brazilian also enjoys carrying the ball in order to evade opposition pressure or carry his team up the pitch. As evidenced above, his 8.7 progressive carries per 90 – carries that move the ball towards the opponent’s goal at least five yards or into the penalty area – place him among the top five per cent for midfielders in Ligue 1 and in Europe. He successfully completes 1.21 dribbles per 90, which is impressive for a defensive midfield player, he also averages 1.54 dribbles past an opposition player, and 2.53 carries into the final third proving he’d fit right at home in the Premier League due to his all-action and creative style.
Defensively, Guimarães is also extremely active and effective. His combative qualities have been right up there with the best in Ligue 1 this season, where he ranks fourth for duels won, seventh for tackles, and is joint-sixth for possession won in the middle third. His tackles + interceptions value per 90 reads at 5.11 which is again, an incredible reading. Guimarães ranks 25th for possession won back in the attacking third, an impressive additional quality for a defence-minded midfielder which speaks volumes for his ability to press all over the pitch.
As per FBref, his 423 pressures in Ligue 1 this season is the third-best in the league highlighting his all-encompassing style. Guimarães isn’t just a samba-style creator on the ball, but he’s warrior and a combative player off it too justifying his tag as one of the most complete midfield players on the continent. The stats highlighted throughout this piece tells its own story.
When you combine Guimaraes’ attacking and defensive qualities it’s clear Newcastle have identified a midfielder with genuine box-to-box qualities, a rare find at the best of times, let alone during a notoriously difficult January window which could be the difference between Premier League safety and relegation.
When you possess a footballer as good as Bruno Guimarães, beating relegation is a sure bet but its what comes after that the Newcastle owners will be hoping this particular investment will lead them through in not only building for the future but also attracting footballers with similar qualities and standing as Bruno Guimarães.
The exciting future the Brazilian has been promised on Tyneside may yet become a reality.
How Newcastle could line-up against Everton on February 8
After a brief two-week pause of captivating international football, the Premier League finally returns this weekend offering up yet another cracking group of fixtures to feast our eyes on.
So, without further ado, let’s get in amongst the action with some previews and predictions.
Leicester City vs Chelsea, Saturday 12:30PM
Chelsea will be looking to increase their three point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table when they travel to Leicester City for Saturday’s early kick-off.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley last time out, while Brendan Rodgers’s side also took a point from their meeting with Leeds United before the international break.
This season so far has been one of inconsistency for Leicester City as they currently sit in 12th place in the table, only winning fifteen points from a possible 33. It’s safe to say Rodgers’ men aren’t hitting the same heights as last season, and it is now three games without a win in all competitions.
Intense speculation surrounding a possible switch to replace under-fire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United will not help Rodgers and Leicester City’s cause one bit, who have just posted two Premier League wins from eight since the start of September and are without a clean sheet in 10 league games.
Rodgers has also seen his side ship two goals in each of their last three top-flight games at the King Power, and not since the 1997/98 campaign have the club managed to prevail against the starting the gameweek at the league summit.
Having impressively recorded numerous wins across the board in previous weeks, Chelsea being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Sean Dyche’s Burnley came as a big surprise considering the amount of chances the hosts wasted.
Tuchel’s men saw their seven-game winning run in all competitions come to an end just before the international break, but the Blues still hold a healthy three-point lead at the top of the table ahead of Manchester City and a resurgent West Ham United.
Chelsea have won their last three away games in the top-flight without shipping a single goal and have conceded just once on the road during the current campaign, becoming the best defensive unit so far this season.
Leicester City prevailed 2-0 at the King Power in this fixture last term which saw former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard lose his job just days after before that historic FA Cup triumph, but Tuchel’s side claimed a 2-1 win over the Foxes at Stamford Bridge back in May.
MATCH FACT: Chelsea have only lost three of their past 18 Premier League games against Leicester (won 10, drawn five), though one of those was at King Power Stadium last season, a 2-0 defeat in Frank Lampard’s last league game in charge in January.
KEY MEN: Jamie Vardy (Leicester) & Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
The Steven Gerrard-era begins at Aston Villa this weekend as the out-of-form hosts welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Villa Park.
Former Rangers boss and Liverpool legend Gerrard replaced Dean Smith at the helm during the international break, with Villa having lost their last five Premier League games.
Brighton’s last outing before the interval saw them draw 1-1 with Newcastle United at the Amex Stadium.
Many of the Villa faithful will have been disappointed to see Dean Smith get the axe from his role earlier this month after the terrific job he’s done leading the club to where they are currently – as a very decent level mid-table club. But those at the top believe he wasn’t the man to take them to the next level after their disappointing run of form as of late.
There will of course be plenty of optimism surrounding Gerrard’s appointment, whose managerial CV already boasts an unprecedented Scottish league title with Rangers, ending Celtic’s nine-year domination, and in terrific and unstoppable fashion.
The Liverpool legend’s return to the Premier League has naturally led to some speculating that his new role is a stepping stone to replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in the near future, but Gerrard has correctly stressed that the Villa job is not simply as such, and he undoubtedly still has plenty to prove as takes the reins at Villa Park.
Victory on Saturday could provide the perfect tonic for Gerrard as Villa manager, with only two of the club’s previous 12 Premier League managers – John Gregory and Gerard Houllier – winning their first top-flight outing in charge. To join that elusive list, Gerrard must bring an end Villa’s worst run of Premier League form since 2015-16, with Smith having lost his final five games in charge.
Villa have not picked up a point since beating Manchester United at Old Trafford in September, conceding 13 goals in that time and dropping down to 16th place – just points clear of the relegation places. Only the bottom two of Newcastle and Norwich have conceded more goals than Villa this season, whilst Norwich are the only team to have lost more than Villa’s seven defeats from 11 games.
The gap to Saturday’s opponents is seven points, however, Brighton’s relatively lofty league position of seventh belies a slight dip in form. The Seagulls’ last Premier League win was actually longer ago than Villa’s, failing to win any of their six league outings since beating Leicester City in September.
However, Graham Potter’s men have still managed to pick up points in that time, losing just one of those games – against Manchester City – and holding the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal to draws in that time.
A 1-1 draw with Newcastle before the international interval was a more disappointing result for Graham Potter, although they will still be more content with their current standing after 11 games, sitting level on points with Manchester United and just five points off the top four.
Chelsea and Lverpool are the only teams to have been beaten fewer times than Brighton so far this season, while those two giants and Manchester City are also the only teams to have conceded fewer goals than the Seagulls, which is very impressive reading.
Brighton are also one of three teams – along with Chelsea and West Ham – to avoid defeat away from home so far, so Saturday’s trip will not be too much of a stumbling block as they aim to put a dampner on Gerrard’s start as Villa Head Coach. Their last visit to Villa Park saw them pick up their first ever win there in a 2-1 triumph.
Villa are winless in their last three meetings with Brighton. However, last year’s corresponding fixture was also the only time Brighton have tasted victory over Villa in their last 12 attempts, and they will need to be particularly wary this time around with the hosts experiencing a new manager bounce.
MATCH FACT: Brighton’s Leandro Trossard is looking to score in three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time.
KEY MEN: Danny Ings (Villa) & Leandro Trossard (Brighton)
SCORE PREDICTION:Aston Villa 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Burnley vs Crystal Palace, 3:00PM
Patrick Vieira’s high-flying Crystal Palace will be bidding to make it three Premier League victories in a row when they travel to Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon to take on Burnley.
The Eagles overcame Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last two fixtures to rise into 10th in the table, while Burnley currently sit 18th, picking up just eight points from 11 games.
Burnley will certainly not be pleased with their position in the table, picking up just eight points so far this season, leaving them three points ahead of basement side Norwich, but the club will be encouraged by their recent performances and results.
Since losing to Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad mid-October, the Clarets have collected five points from three matches, drawing 2-2 with Southampton before winning 3-1 at home to Brentford on October 30.
Sean Dyche’s side entered the international break off the back of a much needed 1-1 draw away to table-topping Chelsea, meanwhile, with Matej Vydra netting a 79th-minute leveller at Stamford Bridge.
Burnley have back-to-back home games against Palace and Tottenham Hotspur to end November, and they are only four points behind 14th-placed Brentford at this stage, meaning that a couple positive results could catapult them up the league table heading into the intense festive period.
The Clarets have actually won their last three Premier League games against Crystal Palace, including a 1-0 victory in the corresponding match last season.
Palace, as mentioned, won 2-0 away to Man City at the end of October before entering the international break off the back of a 2-0 home success over Wolves, which made it six league games unbeaten.
The Eagles have not been beaten in England’s top-flight since the 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the middle of September, although four of their last six outings have ended in draws. Though, Vieira’s men are on upward trajectory under his new stewardship.
Only Chelsea and Liverpool have lost fewer games than Palace this term, with Vieira’s men winning three, drawing six and losing two of their first 11 games so far this campaign.
The capital side are only two points off sixth-placed Manchester United which is a credit to Vieira and his staff, with the Frenchman making a positive impression since taking charge over the summer.
Palace will now be eyeing their fourth league victory of the campaign on Saturday, and they have actually won on two of their last three top-flight visits to Burnley, including a 2-0 success in November 2019.
MATCH FACT: Burnley have won their last three matches against Palace, without conceding, their best such run in the Premier League
The only team without a win this season so far, Newcastle United prepare for battle with newly-promoted Brentford at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon in the first game of the Eddie Howe era.
The Magpies rescued a point against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 1-1 draw last time out, while the Bees became the first victims of Norwich City in a disappointing 2-1 defeat.
After being frustrated in their managerial pursuit of serial Europa League winner Unai Emery, Newcastle moved to appoint former Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe as their new leader, with the 43-year-old in attendance alongside Amanda Staveley to witness the Magpies and the Seagulls do battle on the South Coast.
Norwich’s win over Brentford means that Newcastle are now the only team in the division yet to record a victory this season, and the 19th-placed Magpies are now level with Norwich and five clear of safety before the first game of a new era.
Howe needs no reminding of the pressure he is under to deliver a positive result this weekend, with Newcastle taking just two points from their five league games at home this term and conceding a whopping 13 goals at St James’ Park already – the worst such defensive record in the top flight.
Having seen their fast start to life in the Premier League turn into a nightmare few weeks, Brentford now hold the unwanted honour of being basement side Norwich City’s first victims of the new season following a 2-1 defeat on their own turf.
On the ground where both Arsenal and Liverpool both failed to produce the goods, Norwich went into the half-time break 2-0 up thanks to goals from Mathias Normann and Teemu Pukki, and Rico Henry’s second-half tap-in could not inspire a comeback for the Bees.
That victory was not enough to save Daniel Farke from the axe at Norwich, but Thomas Frank remains in the Brentford hotseat and will desperately seek to reverse his side’s fortunes this weekend, with the Bees suddenly slipping to 14th in the table.
Brentford have suffered four defeats on the bounce in the Premier League, but only one of those losses has come on the road, and not since their League Two days in the 2007-08 season have they sunk to five consecutive losses in domestic action.
However, Burnley and Norwich were both without a win in the new season before coming up trumps against Brentford, so Newcastle fans have every right to dream of a perfect start to life under Howe this weekend.
Newcastle prevailed in both of their encounters with Brentford during the 2016-17 Championship season, but the Bees knocked the Magpies out of the EFL Cup in the quarter-finals last term thanks to Josh Dasilva’s winner.
MATCH FACT: If Ivan Toney scores it will be the 50th PL goal by a former Newcastle player against the Magpies.
KEY MEN: Callum Wilson (Newcastle) & Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Dean Smith will start life in the Norwich City dugout with a home battle against Southampton on Saturday, with the Canaries looking to make it back-to-back Premier League victories.
Norwich City still sit bottom of the table despite recording their first win over Brentford before the international break, while Southampton occupy 13th position, picking up 14 points from their opening 11 games.
Daniel Farke’s reward for leading Norwich to their first win of the season was an unfortunate sack, with the German relieved of his duties just hours after the 2-1 success over Brentford away from home.
Dean Smith, who was dismissed by Aston Villa on November 7, has taken charge at Carrow Road, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal, and the 50-year-old will be determined to get off the best possible start this weekend, as he looks to steady a sinking ship just as he was tasked with upon his arrival at Aston Villa three years ago.
The Canaries have not been able to secure back-to-back seasons of top-flight football since 2012/13 and 2013/14, having dropped straight back into the Championship following their last two promotions, and Smith will have a huge task in avoiding such a repeat this time around.
Norwich have lost their last three matches against Southampton in all competitions but did beat the Saints 1-0 at Carrow Road during the 2015/16 PL campaign.
Southampton, meanwhile, enter this weekend off the back of a 10 win over Aston Villa on November 5 which led to Dean Smith’s sacking two days later, with Adam Armstrong’s third-minute effort proving to be the difference between the two sides.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have picked up 10 points from their last four league outings against Leeds United, Burnley, Watford and Aston Villa to rise into 13th spot in the table.
The Saints are only actually three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United and will be determined to put another victory on the board ahead of a tough trip to Liverpool in their final game of November.
The Saints are only actually three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United and will be determined to put another victory on the board ahead of a tough trip to Liverpool in their final game of November.
Southampton, who finished 15th in the league last term, have also lost just two of their last 15 matches against the Canaries in all competitions, recording seven victories in the process.
MATCH FACT: Southampton can secure a fourth successive Premier League win over Norwich for the first time.
KEY MEN: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) & Adam Armstrong (Saints)
Manchester United will be bidding to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon to face Watford.
The Red Devils suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City before the international break, while Watford, who are just outside the relegation zone in England’s top flight, lost 1-0 at Arsenal in their last contest.
Watford have won three, drawn one and lost seven of their 11 Premier League matches this season to collect 10 points, which has left them in 17th position in the table, two points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, and it would not be a surprise to see the club in and around the bottom three for much of the campaign.
The Hornets will enter Saturday’s contest off the back of successive 1-0 defeats to Southampton and Arsenal, but new head coach Claudio Ranieri managed to lead the team to a stunning 5-2 success at Everton in his second match at the helm on October 23.
Watford actually started their 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a 3-2 home success over Aston Villa, but they have picked up just one point from their last four league fixtures at Vicarage Road, losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool and Southampton during a worrying run.
Ranieri’s side are now facing four difficult matches in quick succession, hosting Man United, Chelsea and Manchester City, in addition to visiting Leicester City before the end of the month.
The Hornets will certainly not be panicking, though, as there is still a lot of football to be played this season, and they ran out 2-0 winners when Man United last visited Vicarage Road in the league in December 2019.
Man United, meanwhile, suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Man City in their last match on November 6; the result increased the pressure on head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the Norwegian has kept his job and will lead the team into Saturday’s contest at Vicarage Road.
The Red Devils are actually top of their Champions League group ahead of next week’s key clash away to Villarreal, but they have lost three of their last four in the Premier League and won just one of their last six to drop down the table into sixth position five points from fourth placed Liverpool.
The 20-time English champions are entering a huge period in the league, taking on Chelsea and Arsenal in their two matches after this one, but they can take confidence from their impressive performance away to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of October, recording a 3-0 victory over the North London club.
Man United might have seen their long unbeaten away run in the league end at Leicester on October 16, but they have won three of their last four on the road in England’s top flight and will be fired up to bounce back from their derby defeat in Hertfordshire this weekend.
MATCH FACT: Manchester United have won 12 of their 14 PL matches v Watford, inflicting the Hornets’ most defeats against a single club.
KEY MEN: Ismaila Sarr (Watford) & Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo
SCORE PREDICTION: Watford 0-2 Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United, 3:00PM
West Ham United will be looking to continue their impressive start to the campaign when they head to Molineux on Saturday afternoon to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The high-flying Hammers currently sit third in the table, three points behind leaders Chelsea, while Wolves occupy eight position, just a point behind sixth-placed Manchester United.
Wolves struggled for results in the early stages of the campaign, losing four of their first five Premier League matches despite playing decent football, which brought some early pressure on new head coach Bruno Lage.
The West Midlands club have been victorious in four of their last six in the league, though, suffering just one defeat in the process, seeing them rise to eighth just a point behind the inconsistent Manchester United ahead of the next set of games.
Wolves had been on a five-game unbeaten run between September 26 and November 6 but entered the international break off the back of a 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace, which just halted their impressive progress under former Benfica coach Bruno Lage.
Lage’s team will be feeling much better about themselves following a tough start to the season, though, and will be looking to return to winning ways against West Ham, having lost their last two matches against the London club, including a 3-2 defeat at Molineux back in April.
West Ham, meanwhile, have won seven, drawn two and lost two of their 11 league matches this season to collect 23 points, which has left them third in the table, level on points with second-placed Man City and just three points behind leaders Chelsea.
The Hammers recorded a 3-2 victory over Liverpool before the international break, which made it seven matches unbeaten in all competitions, with the capital outfit also advancing to the knockout round of the Europa League with two matches to spare, in addition to booking their spot in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
West Ham have two difficult away league matches to end the month, following this contest with a clash against Man City, while David Moyes’s team will also welcome Chelsea at the start of December.
The London club finished sixth in the table last season, just two points outside of the Champions League positions, and they certainly have the look of a top-four side at this moment in time.
West Ham, as mentioned, will be eyeing a third straight win over Wolves, but they did suffer four consecutive defeats to the West Midlands outfit between September 2018 and June 2020.
MATCH FACTS: West Ham can secure a second consecutive away league win at Wolves for the first time in 100 years.
KEY MEN: Raul Jimenez (Wolves) & Pablo Fornals (West Ham)
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Johnson, Zouma, Dawson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals; Antonio
SCORE PREDICTION:Wolves 1-2 West Ham United
Liverpool vs Arsenal, Saturday 5:30PM
Arguably the standout fixture of the gameweek will take place on Saturday evening when Liverpool welcome a rejuvenated Arsenal to Anfield.
Just one place and two points seperate the two sides in the table, with Liverpool sitting fourth and Arsenal fifth after 11 games of the campaign.
At the end of August, one would have been given long odds for Arsenal having the chance to leapfrog Liverpool in the table when the two sides met in gameweek 12.
At that stage, the Gunners sat rock-bottom having lost all three of their games, conceding nine times without registering once themselves in the process, while Liverpool had taken seven points from a possible nine and conceded only once.
Fast forward a number of weeks and the Premier League picture has changed significantly; for Liverpool, that is largely down to a two-game winless streak before the international break, including their first defeat of the season last time out against West Ham United.
The defeat to the Hammers ended their 20-game unbeaten streak in the top-flight, and a 25-game undefeated run across all competitions stretching back to April.
The 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion which preceded the West Ham defeat was also a major blow as Jurgen Klopp’s side threw away a two-goal lead, with those two results leaving the Reds now four points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
The Merseysiders do now have three home games in a row before the short trip to Goodison Park for the derby on December 1, which will come as welcome news for a team unbeaten in their last 13 games at Anfield, including nine in the Premier League.
Klopp’s men have dropped points from winning positions in their last two such matches, though – consecutive 2-2 draws with Man City and Brighton – while they have only won two of their five home league games so far this season, drawing the other three.
That should Arsenal with some much needed confidence heading into Saturday’s intriguing encounter.
Liverpool’s defeat at West Ham means that the Gunners now boast the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League, taking 20 points from the 24 on offer since those three defeats to start the season.
The eight-game run makes for Arsenal’s longest undefeated streak since December 2018, while in all competitions that record improves to eight wins and two draws from their last 10.
Arsenal have kept seven clean sheets in that time too, including three in a row before the break, and in their last 10 games combined they have conceded fewer goals than they did in their 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City before then.
All of that has catapulted Arsenal right back into the top-four race, and despite still only having a goal difference of 0 – 20 worse than Saturday’s opponents – a victory at the weekend would be enough to lift them into the Champions League places for the first time since October 2020.
The main concern for the Gunners this weekend may well be their record against Liverpool in recent seasons; Liverpool have lost just one of their 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal since Klopp took charge, winning seven of those.
Most of those wins have been convincing too, particularly at Anfield where Liverpool have won five on the bounce against Arsenal, scoring at least three times in all of those matches.
You have to go back to September 1981 to January 1988 for the last time Liverpool had a longer winning run at home to Arsenal in the top flight, with the styles of both teams playing into Klopp’s hands far more often than they have Arsenal’s in recent years.
That said, Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in six of their last nine top-flight away games, including three in a row, and another on Saturday would be their best run since May 2005.
Certainly, the test on Saturday evening will show how far Arsenal have come under Mikel Arteta.
MATCH FACT: Mohamed Salah has been involved in nine goals in a many Premier League games against Arsenal (7 goals, 2 assists).
KEY MEN: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) & Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Mane
Manchester City will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they welcome Rafael Benitez’ faltering Everton side to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
The Citizens entered the international break off the back of a 2-0 victory at Manchester United, while Everton picked up a point at home to Tottenham Hotspur in their last top-flight contest.
Guardiola’s men have not had it all their own way so far this season, already losing two of their 11 matches, including a shock 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on home soil, but they were excellent and dominant in a two-goal victory against Man United in the Manchester derby.
The result moved the Citizens into second position in the table, just three points behind leaders Chelsea, and they have a huge end to November, facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next week before welcoming high-flying West Ham United in the league on November 28.
Man City were surprisingly knocked out of the EFL Cup by West Ham in the round of 16 but are on course to reach the last-16 stage of the Champions League, sitting top of Group A with nine points.
Pep Guardiola’s side have actually won their last seven Premier League games against Everton, scoring 21 times in the process, including a 5-0 victory in the corresponding match last season.
Southampton and Palace have both prevented Man City from winning at the Etihad Stadium in the league this term, though, and Everton were impressive on their last visit to Manchester, claiming a point against Man United at the start of October.
The Toffees made an impressive start to the 2021-22 Premier League season, winning four of their first six matches, suffering just one defeat in the process, with new head coach Rafael Benitez enjoying a fine start.
However, fast forward a couple months, they are without a league win in five games, suffering three defeats in the process, including a shock 5-2 home loss to Watford towards the end of October.
A record of four wins, three draws and four defeats has brought the Merseyside giants 15 points, which has left them in 11th position, just two points behind sixth-placed Man United.
The Toffees have not even managed to claim a point against Man City since August 2017, while they have not beaten the Citizens away from home in the league for almost 11 years – a record they’ll be hoping to put right this Sunday.
Benitez will certainly have a tactical plan in mind for this contest, though, and there is no question that the Merseyside club have the players to harm Man City, who struggled against Palace at the Etihad Stadium last time out.
MATCH FACT: Among teams who have never won the Premier League title themselves, Everton have won more Premier League matches against the reigning champions than anyone else (14). They also won their last such match, winning 2-0 at rivals Liverpool in February last season.
KEY MEN: Phil Foden (Manchester City) & Richarlison (Everton)
The Antonio Conte era gets well under way on Sunday afternoon as the Italian tastes his first Premier League home game as Spurs boss, welcoming Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Both teams come into this off the back of draws before the international break. Conte’s first game saw his battle out a 0-0 draw against Everton at Goodison Park while Leeds United played out a stalemate with Leicester City at Elland Road.
Conte’s first league game in the Spurs dugout was at Goodison Park on November 7, and it was a relatively solid start for the Italian, with the capital club claiming a point in a goalless draw with Everton.
It is now three league games without a victory for Tottenham Hotspur, though, having lost their last two matches under Nuno Espirito Santo – away to West Ham United and at home to Manchester United.
A record of five wins, one draw and five defeats this season has seen Spurs collect 16 points to sit ninth in the table, but they are only one point behind sixth-placed Man United and certainly have a run of winnable games ahead.
Burnley, Brentford and Norwich City are their next three ahead of a difficult trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on December 12, then Conte’s men face tough tests against take on Leicester and Liverpool before returning to action on Boxing Day at home to revitalised Crystal Palace.
Conte has a huge job on his hands to revolutionize the North London giants after Nuno Espirito Santo’s struggles, but a victory over Leeds on Sunday would be a strong step in the right direction for the Italian, who certainly knows what it takes to build a winning team.
One test of his will be getting Harry Kane back to scoring ways in the Premier League, with only a single goal to his name so far this season. He did end the international break with seven goals to his name for his country which will boost his confidence heading into Sunday’s encounter with Leeds.
Leeds, meanwhile, have found it difficult to really get going in the opening months of the 2021-22 campaign, with a total of 11 points from 11 matches leaving them down in 15th position in the table.
The Whites have only managed to win two league games this term, which is the fourth-worst record in the division behind Newcastle United (zero), Burnley (one) and Norwich (one).
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have only lost one of their last five matches in England’s top flight, though, and will bring a three-game unbeaten run into this contest, drawing with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester, in addition to beating Norwich, since a 1-0 loss at Southampton on October 16.
Leeds recorded a 3-1 win over Spurs when the two teams last locked horns back in May, but the Whites have lost on each of their last four Premier League trips to Tottenham and have not beaten the capital giants away from home in England’s top flight since February 2001.
One man who will be key to Leeds’ short-term ambitions on Sunday will be Brazilian magician Raphinha who has scored almost half their goals (5) this season so far.
Sunday’s clash will actually see two of the lowest scorers in the Premier League lock horns, with Bielsa’s side netting just 11 times this term, while Tottenham have managed just nine, which is the second-worst record in the division behind basement side Norwich (five).
MATCH FACT: It has now been 226 minutes since Tottenham Hotspur last had a shot on target in the Premier League.
KEY MEN: Harry Kane (Spurs) & Raphinha (Leeds United)
Newcastle United’s new owners finally pulled the trigger and sacked head coach Steve Bruce on Wednesday morning.
Bruce was expected to be replaced after the Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), completed a £305m takeover of Newcastle on October 7.
The 60-year-old remained in charge for the disappointing 3-2 defeat to Tottenham – his 1,000th match as a manager – with non-executive chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and director Amanda Staveley watching on at St James’ Park.
The writing was always on the wall for the former Hull City and Wigan Athletic manager, and with the club languishing second bottom in the Barclays Premier League, and winless after their opening eight games, it was a matter of when and not if Steve Bruce will be relieved of his duties.
Upon the sacking, the club immediately put out a statement saying that the process of recruiting a new head coach is underway, and various reports already have former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca as the early front runners.
Newcastle to hold talks with Paulo Fonseca in next 24 hours with a view to appointing him as new boss. No decision on preferred option yet – but if talks go well Fonseca set to be No 1 target. More on @MailSport
It is understood that Newcastle are currently holding talks with the Portuguese coach in with a view to appointing him as the new boss under the new regime, and the man tasked in leading the club into a new era.
Though Fonseca isn’t the only man being considered for the role, with Newcastle also sounding out for other irons in the fire in replacing Steve Bruce. But who are those options and what will they bring to St James’ Park?
Paulo Fonseca
The bookies favourite to take the managerial hotseat at St James’ Park, Paulo Fonseca has emerged as the front-runner to replace Steve Bruce at St James’ Park and if he does get the job, Newcastle supporters can expect attacking football and plenty of entertainment.
Indeed, it was his devotion to an attack-minded playing style that scuppered a potential move to Tottenham during the summer, the 48-year-old afterwards insisting the club’s managing director Fabio Paratici favoured a more defensive brand of football and as a result appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo instead.
“The best way to defend is to have the ball,” said Fonseca in an interview with the Telegraph. “We have an obligation with supporters to create a spectacle, a good show. I have to be offensive and dominate the games… These are things which will die with me.”
These words will certainly ring sweetly in Newcastle fan’s ears as they’ve had to put up with more conservative, defensive and cautious approaches for much of the past decade.
Fonseca, 48, has been honing his preferred playing style throughout a managerial career which began in 2007. He started out in his native Portugal and, following spells in charge of Pacos Ferreira, Porto and Braga, where he won the Portuguese Cup, he moved to Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk and later Roma.
Paulo Fonseca had over 51% win record at Roma and a 74% win percentage at Shakhtar Donetsk, so he does seem the more plausible target to take Newcastle forward. He did evolve Roma tactically during his time there, and I’m sure that’s the reason #NUFC are after him.
Fonseca spent the last two seasons at Roma, finishing fifth and seventh in Serie A before being replaced by Jose Mourinho last summer, but he was more successful at Shakhtar, winning three consecutive league and cup doubles and enjoying some memorable moments in Europe too.
In December 2017, his Shakhtar side clinched a 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Fonseca has been turning heads in the Premier League ever since then, attracting interest from Everton and West Ham before this summer’s approach by Tottenham, but it may now be at Newcastle that he gets his first chance in England. It’s a proposition which the Newcastle fans could well be potentially excited by.
Lucien Favre
Another leading frontrunner for the Newcastle job is former Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. A man who would take a whole wealth of experience and know-how to St James’ Park.
Much of Favre’s 28-year managerial career has been spent in his native Switzerland and in Germany, save for two seasons in France with Nice, whom he led to their best ever Ligue 1 finish in his first full year in charge in 2016/17 – also managing Newcastle forward Allan Saint-Maximin in which he had difficulties in managing.
He also enjoyed success at FC Zurich, where he won successive Swiss Super League titles in 2006 and 2007, and at Borussia Monchengladbach having twice guided the club to Champions League qualification.
Favre has been unemployed since December 2020, when he was sacked by Borussia Dortmund after a season-and-a-half in charge. During his debut season in charge of the German giants, he became the first ever manager to remain unbeaten in his first 15 Bundesliga matches, including a 4–1 win against RB Leipzig, a 7–0 win against 1. FC Nürnberg, and a 4–0 win against Atlético Madrid.
His Dortmund side were exceptionally free-scoring during his first year in charge, favouring a a dynamic, quick and attacking-minded football where ball possession and change of tempo alternate. He finished his time at Dortmund with a 61% win percentage having also led the club to a German Super Cup triumph in 2019. He was sacked in December 2020, after a poor run of results, including a 5-1 thumping at the hands of VFB Stuttgart.
The Swiss manager was linked with a move to Crystal Palace in the summer but negotiations broke down with the club appointing Patrick Vieira instead.
Eddie Howe
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Eddie Howe is the outsiders favourite for the role, and could be an exciting one at that.
The 43-year-old Englishman worked wonders at Bournemouth, guiding the south-coast club from the brink of relegation from the Football League to the Premier League, with a brief and unsuccessful spell at Burnley in-between. He kept Bournemouth in the Premier League for five seasons.
Howe has been out of work since leaving Bournemouth at the end of the 2019/20 season, when the club was relegated to the Championship.
That factor will be a major sticking point for many Newcastle fans and the new owners who are looking for a coach to guide them away from relegation this season.
He was approached by Celtic in May but turned down the offer.
Like the other four candidates, Howe is reported to be under consideration by Newcastle, and while his tenure at Bournemouth ended with disappointment, he is still viewed as a Premier League-level manager having worked wonders on the south coast with such a small budget.
He also transformed the careers of Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser, current forwards at St James’ Park and is well-known for favouring exciting, progressive and attack-minded football. What Howe could do with such a wealth of funds at his disposal remains to be seen, but if he does get the job, he will indeed not be the finished article in terms of leading the club into a new era.
There will be bumps in his tenure, one which the Newcastle will have to be patient with, but if there is any manager who can build again from the ground up, it is indeed Eddie Howe.
Amanda Staveley in a recent interview after the takeover stated that the Barclays Premier League trophy is a long-term ambition of the new regime, but is Eddie Howe up to that pressured task?
Outside Bets?
Steven Gerrard, Rangers
Another up and coming manager who needs no introduction.
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side won the league last year in remarkable fashion as invincibles. The former Liverpool midfielder is adored over the Scottish border after finally ending Celtic’s long standing domination in the Scottish Premiership, and will certainly be amped in leading the club to a league double this season.
Even prior to the takeover, the 41-year-old was touted to take over at St. James Park after working his way up the managerial ladder.
His current win ratio at Ibrox is a staggering 64.7% but it would be a different dynamic at Newcastle. His lack of top-flight experience would be his undoing as the club aims to remain in the Premier League first and foremost but its certainly a test the Liverpool legend would be excited by.
The Magpies are in desperate need of results to lift them away from the relegation zone, prior to an expected influx of money in January.
Gerrard has already spoken about the takeover tentatively and said it’s an “exciting” time for the Geordies.
Antonio Conte
Appointing Antonio Conte would indeed be a huge statement of intent from Newcastle.
The former Juventus, Italy, and Chelsea manager is available having left Inter Milan shortly after guiding the club to the Serie A title last season.
Conte is regarded as one of the finest managers in world football because of his siege mentality and knack for picking up the prestigious titles after just a season in charge. The Italian is a serial winner, and would command the respect of his players immediately if appointed.
Conte has also been touted as the next Manchester United manager if the club decide to do a U-turn and part ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The 52-year-old Italian has enjoyed success throughout his managerial career, including three successive Scudettos with Juventus and ending Inter’s 11-year wait for an Italian league title. Conte has also proved his pedigree in the Premier League, guiding Chelsea to the title in his first season before collecting the FA Cup in his second and final year.
Newcastle have not tasted cup success for a long while now, and Conte would be the immediate solution to that problem. However, the Italian does come with his baggage. He departed Inter because he wanted reinforcements which the club would not give him due to their financial issues.
If he was to be appointed, he would be blessed with great financial muscle from the Saudi owners and could make the most of rebuilding the club and moulding it in his image. Conte is tactically adept, arguably one of the best in the world but does come with a much more pragmatic and conservative approach rather than the expansive mindset the club is looking for, but his method clearly works and its one Newcastle would do well in considering.
The Italian would no doubt be able to help Newcastle attract top talent to the club, given his own standing in the game, although he does have a habit of falling out with club bosses over transfer targets.
Still, Conte would represent a significant upgrade on the former incumbents.
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