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Comparing Newcastle’s record with and without Bruno Guimaraes in 2022-23

Newcastle United are yet to win a Premier League match without their talismanic midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in 2022-23 so far.

Guimaraes arrived from Lyon for a £38million fee last January. Big things were expected, but he’s more than justified the fee, becoming one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and integral to Newcastle’s top-four push.

“I find it difficult with that number, but I would say that he’s a bargain in today’s current climate,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told BBC Sport.

“He’s absolutely a bargain because he’s had a huge effect on the team and the club. In today’s market, that is a relatively modest sum – which I can’t really believe I’m saying – but it is.

“It’s an amazing thing for us to have him, it’s not just the player, it’s the person as well. I can’t say how good a person he is.

“He’s a pleasure to coach and be around. He’s a really positive person, an energiser and someone I love to coach and be with. I think everyone here connected with the club – me, the players, the supporters – absolutely love him.”

Newcastle are unbeaten with the Brazil international in their starting line-up this season. They register a superb 2.17 points-per-game average when Guimaraes starts for Howe’s Magpies in the league – but that number drops to 0.8 points per game when he’s missing.

The only match this season that Newcastle have won without the 25-year-old midfielder in their starting XI was their 2-1 win away at Tranmere Rovers back in August.

Of the five Premier League matches he’s missed – Wolves, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Bournemouth – Newcastle are yet to win. They drew four of those and suffered their only league defeat of 2022-23 so far at Anfield, in which Guimaraes was sidelined by a hamstring injury back in late August.

Having picked up a late red card in Newcastle’s League Cup semi-final victory over Southampton, Guimaraes has looked a costly miss in four dropped points against West Ham (1-1) and Bournemouth (1-1). He completes the ban as Newcastle host Liverpool and will return for the League Cup final against Manchester United.

“I think we missed Bruno today, but we were always going to miss Bruno because he’s so unique and slightly different,” Howe told reporters after Newcastle’s draw with West Ham.

“But I do think our midfield players who played in his absence all played well. I don’t think it’s a criticism of them – I just think he’s irreplaceable. You’re going to miss him, and I think we missed his creative eye more than anything else.”

We’ve taken a closer look at how Newcastle fare with and without the key midfielder this season.

With Bruno Guimaraes

Played: 21
Won: 14
Drawn: 7
Lost: 0

Goals for: 37
Goals per game: 1.76
Goals against: 9
Goals against per game: 0.42

Points per game (Premier League): 2.33 (2.17)
Win rate: 66.6%
Loss rate: 0%

Without Bruno Guimaraes

Played: 8
Won: 1
Drawn: 5
Lost: 2

Goals for: 7
Goals per game: 0.87
Goals against: 8
Goals against per game: 1.0

Points per game (Premier League): 1.0 (0.8)
Win rate: 12.5%
Loss rate: 25%


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