Newcastle United had to scrap their way to victory on Saturday.
After a reasonably controversial red card was shown to Fabian Schar in the first-half, Newcastle had to dig deep on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
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Ultimately, Joelinton’s goal just before half-time proved enough to claim a vital three points at St James’ Park but it does not tell the whole story.
Indeed, Eddie Howe was full of praise for his players and their defending. Despite losing a man early, they managed to keep a clean sheet, something they struggled to do for a lot of last season.
Emil Krafth drew big praise from Howe for his performance after coming on to partner Dan Burn and cover for Schar’s absence but it wasn’t just the backline who played their part.
Such an effort took a big performance from the whole team, including Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian, wearing the captain’s armband, was hailed as “immense” by Howe.
Now, the Brazilian has opened up on his fitness.
Bruno Guimaraes admits he’s not fully fit at Newcastle yet
Speaking after the game, the 26-year-old admitted he wasn’t fully fit, having only had a relatively short summer break after representing Brazil at the Copa America.
“I’m not at my best level physically,” he said (via Newcastle World).
“I came back after the guys so I’m still needing to build my level physically but I think today was a big test for me.
“After the red card, everyone gave as much as possible. I’m very proud. There are many ways to win a game and I think, today, we won in all the ways. We have to keep it going.
“It was unbelievable. To deliver that first impression for the fans, who once again made the difference for us. When we put the shirt on, we play for them. For these three points, they had maximum contribution. I’m going to sleep tonight very, very happy.”
Bruno Guimaraes continues to prove people wrong
To pull off that intense a defensive display is pretty remarkable given the work load Guimaraes has had over the last few months.
His quality on the ball is obvious but to continue to do his fair share of work off the ball speaks to a player fully committed to the cause.
Having hit back at criticism about his athleticism towards the end of last season, it was another statement performance about his overall game. An absolute class act on the ball and a warrior without it.
What a player Newcastle have on their hands.
