Newcastle United have a fighter in their ranks, one star has won more duels than any other Premier League player

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Even when not at their best, Newcastle United have picked up wins this season from scrappy performances.

Poor performances have been a worry for Newcastle United this season, yet Eddie Howe‘s side have still climbed to seventh in the Premier League.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
7	NewcastleNewcastle	7	3	3	1	8	7	1	12

The only display where Newcastle have been at their very best is in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City, which was “relentless” and full of intensity.

Replicating that has proven difficult, especially against Everton and AFC Wimbledon who were prepared to concede possession and drop deep.

However, Howe is now starting to find his best starting XI, especially in midfield where the trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton are starting together.

Bruno Guimaraes leads the Premier League in duels

Howe admits that central midfield is Newcastle’s strongest position, with plenty of depth and quality in that area.

It is therefore no surprise that Newcastle are looking to strengthen at right-wing and at centre-back in January.

Midfield is one area that Howe does not have to worry too much about, especially as club captain Guimaraes is one of the most combative players in the Premier League.

According to Squawka, Guimaraes has won more duels than any other player in the top flight in 2024/25.

Guimaraes has won a staggering 58 duels for Newcastle in the Premier League this season, six more than Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi in second.

No other Newcastle players rank in the top 10, highlighting just how important Guimaraes is to Newcastle.

Bruno Guimaraes is returning to his best

Guimaraes started the season slowly – as did a handful of Newcastle players.

But, as mentioned by Howe, Guimaraes had a busy summer schedule which explains why he struggled early on.

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There are now signs that the 26-year-old is returning to his best this season. Guimaraes was impressive in the draw against City, and he enjoyed a flawless substitute cameo against Wimbledon.

There are still flaws in Guimaraes’ game, but he is absolutely critical to Howe’s side and his passion and admiration for the club can never be questioned.