Eddie Howe must address Bruno Guimaraes concern as damning Newcastle evidence emerges
Newcastle United saw their recent upturn in form in the Premier League draw to a close as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Aston Villa on Sunday.
Unai Emery’s side have lost just two of their last 13 games in the league, and they were able to close the gap to leaders Arsenal to just four points after they tasted defeat later in the day.
Emi Buendia netted the opener for Aston Villa with a stunner in the 19th minute, before Ollie Watkins was on hand to secure the points for the visitors in the final stages of the game.
Newcastle have been left four points adrift of Chelsea in the final European place after their latest defeat, and it was a game that provided significantly more problems than solutions for Eddie Howe.
Alarming Bruno Guimaraes stat emerges after Newcastle defeat
Bruno Guimaraes has been influential for Newcastle since his £40million move from Lyon in January 2022, but he was unable to feature against Aston Villa after picking up an injury.
The midfielder was ruled out of the game at St James’ Park with a slight ankle problem, but despite Howe insisting after the match that the Brazilian’s issue is not serious, he will be desperate to get him back after an unwanted record continued this weekend.
The Magpies still have capable midfield options in the trio of Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley, but Guimaraes’ influence is so strong that they failed to win without him once again.
Newcastle have now been without the 28-year-old in the matchday squad on nine occasions since his move to the Premier League, and they have failed to win a single one of those games, according to statistics that were shown during Sunday night’s edition of Match of the Day.
That will be a huge concern for Howe, especially ahead of their midweek clash against PSG in the Champions League, an assignment that will be crucial in deciding whether they will face the play-off round of the competition.
The North East outfit appear to have something of a mental block when it comes to performing without Guimaraes at the heart of the team, and that is something that Howe simply must find a way to address moving forward, as the success of a team can never fully rely on one man’s availability.
Eddie Howe should leave Bruno Guimaraes at home for PSG trip
Newcastle’s game against PSG is huge for their European aspirations, but over a two-leg play-off round, they will still fancy their chances of beating the majority of their potential opponents at that stage.
As a result, it may be beneficial for Howe to leave his star midfielder at home for the trip to the French capital, and instead allow him the time to recover properly, and avoid trying to force him back for the game.
His team’s record without Guimaraes suggests that they should play the long game in regards to his injury, and avoid rushing him back and risking any potential complications.
The Premier League campaign is the be-all and end-all for Newcastle, given that it holds the key to their aspirations with Champions League qualification the goal once again.
Victory without Guimaraes in Paris will be extremely unlikely for the Magpies, but given the quality of the opposition, they may feel that it is better to ensure that he is good to go for next weekend instead of taking the risk.