Former Sunderland forward Darren Bent has delivered an interesting comparison between Hatem Ben Arfa and Newcastle's star midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
Guimaraes scored a brace at the weekend to cap a sensational display in Newcastle's 5-1 victory over Brentford at St James' Park on Saturday. His performance received raving reviews from a number of his peers, as well as a few notable football pundits.
Bent, who scored 32 times for Newcastle's bitter rivals Sunderland, believes Guimaraes' style is reminiscent of Ben Arfa, although he added that Guimaraes has more consistency to his game.
“He reminds me of Ben Arfa. Newcastle fans loved him. But I think he’s more consistent," Bent told talkSPORT.
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"They both have this ability where they can get fans off their seats. You know what Newcastle fans are like, they want to be entertained and he’s certainly been just that.”
Ben Arfa was renowned for his ability to create moments of ingenuity, with his talent best illustrated by his incredible solo goal against Bolton Wanderers in 2012.
The former France international initially joined the Magpies on loan from Marseille in 2010 but saw his debut season ended prematurely by injury. He signed on a permanent basis the following year and scored six times in 30 games as Newcastle finished fifth in the Premier League.
He featured in Newcastle's last European campaign in 2012-13 when they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. However, after an unsuccessful loan at Hull City, Ben Arfa was released from his contract in January 2015.
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