Newcastle United's 2024/25 season has been an extreme of two tales. While the Magpies club has looked brilliant, giving flashes of their level best in some instances, they have been sloppy in others. However, while the club's inconsistent form has kept them winless from the last 3 PL matchdays, things have been going in the right direction for them, with some big names returning back to form.
Newcastle's captain leads the Premier League charts in a key possession metric
One such case has been of Newcastle Club Captain Bruno Guimaraes. Returning after a pretty involving international campaign, the midfielder wasn't at his best for a series of games after looking impressive in the season opener. However, the last three games have shown promise in Newcastle's favor, with Guimaraes delivering key back-to-back performances.
Being one of the best club players against Manchester City, playing an exciting cameo against Wimbledon, and a convincing fixture against Everton, Guimaraes has been nearing his best levels now. Adds to the superstar number 6 midfielder's recent form a Premier League stat, which the Brazilian ace has stood on than the rest.
As per reports from Squawka, Bruno Guimaraes leads the Premier League charts in winning the most number of duels in the 2024/25 season. At a staggering number of 58, the Magpies Captain boasts six duels ahead of Wilfred Ndidi, who stands in 2nd place. Moreover, with no other player from Eddie Howe's side making it even to the top 10, it just shows the importance of Brazilian ace Guimaraes in their lineup.
In fact, this comes at a time when the player has been recovering back to his best level; otherwise, the charts might have been much more dominant in the midfielder. Pairing up alongside Italian ace Sandro Tonali and powerhouse midfielder Joelinton, Guimaraes' presence has given Eddie Howe's midfield the needed stability, bringing in the intensity they had lacked in the initial games of the season.
Overall, with Newcastle's club captain showing signs of returning to his best level, there is a clear indication of things steering in the right direction for the Magpies club. Newcastle fans would hope that the balance manager Eddie Howe has been searching since the season started, stars clicking together, helping them contend for a top-4 PL finish this season.