Newcastle United take on Aston Villa this Sunday. The Magpies have momentum after an impressive 3-1 win against Everton. Head coach Eddie Howe will have been impressed by his side and won’t want to make too many changes.
However, one change Newcastle should make is bringing in midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to the starting XI against Aston Villa. He made his debut coming off the bench, replacing Joe Willock with a few minutes to go.
In that time he really impressed and even pulled off a very cheeky flick which wowed the fans. Also, when he made his way onto the pitch, the atmosphere was incredible. The mood was elevated that extra bit due to the 24-year-old Brazilian stepping onto the pitch.
Who should make way for Bruno?
The midfield three of Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock and Joelinton did their jobs very well on Tuesday. In particular, Willock and Shelvey stood out. If you were to bring Guimaraes in, I think taking out his Brazilian compatrior Joelinton, 25, would be the best choice.
There’s no doubt Joelinton has looked great in midfield since Howe arrived. But I think based on the Everton performance he was probably the weakest of the midfield three.
In addition, the promise shown by Guimaraes against the Toffees means it would be a missed opportunity not to start him against Villa. With the Villians boasting quality in midfield, Newcastle needs to try and match them.
With his wide range of abilities on and off the ball seeing the 24-year-old get a full 90 minutes for the Magpies will hopefully show what all the hype is about.
After all, this is a man who could’ve gone to Arsenal but instead opted for a move to Tyneside. So with links to clubs of that calibre, he must have something about him.
Many fans would be so excited to see Bruno Guimaraes start against Villa. Having him in from the start boosts the quality in Newcastle’s midfield, which they’ll need against their opponents.
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