Newcastle United found a way to win games a year ago when Bruno Guimaraes was gradually eased into life in the Premier League. However, the Brazil international's return from suspension cannot come quickly enough for the Magpies.
Bruno brings something different to this side. Not only is Bruno someone who can win the ball back and get Newcastle moving; the midfielder also possesses the vision and passing range that no one else at the club has.
Bruno is simply an 'untouchable' - to borrow a term used by Jose Mourinho - and the stats tell their own story about the talisman's influence. Newcastle have won 10 of the 17 (59%) Premier League games Bruno has played in this season and Eddie Howe's team have, tellingly, failed to triumph any of the five top-flight fixtures the playmaker has missed, including Saturday's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
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It is certainly not a coincidence that Newcastle's points per game, goals per game, goals conceded per game and shots conceded per game numbers are all dramatically worse when Bruno is not on the pitch. At a time when Premier League teams are getting smarter at disrupting Newcastle's rhythm, a player like Bruno is 'irreplaceable' as Howe has even said himself.
"You're going to miss your best players," the Newcastle boss told reporters at the Vitality Stadium. "We missed and we will continue to miss Bruno because he's a fantastic player.
"Not just him - other players were missing - and there's always a hole when they are not here. We have to find a way to win without those players because you go through a long Premier League campaign. You're never going to have your best XI to play regularly.
"We feel we have a strong enough squad to cope. I thought our midfield performed really well again. I don't think there is any criticism of any players. Just teams are designed to stop us and we have to find solutions to that."
Newcastle will certainly have to find a solution against Liverpool at St James' Park on Saturday in what will be the final match of Bruno's three-game ban before the midfielder returns for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United. With Joe Willock a huge doubt with a hamstring injury, and Newcastle short of options in the middle of the park, Howe may yet opt to hand Anthony Gordon his full debut at the weekend after the new signing replaced the midfielder in the 36th minute at the Vitality Stadium last time out.
Although Gordon is at his best on the wing, the 21-year-old was given a free role through the middle against Bournemouth and the change caused the Cherries problems. Indeed it was Gordon who played his part in the build-up to Miguel Almiron's equaliser before half-time and Howe went as far as to say Newcastle scored that goal 'because of his movement'. Opposite number Gary O'Neil pretty much agreed.
"I was worried about the last 10 minutes [of the first half] because they were forced into a change of shape when Gordon came on," the Bournemouth head coach added. "It took our lads a little while.
"It was a tactical change so I was desperate to get to half-time so we could fix a couple of things. We didn't quite get there."
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