Analysis: 'Very special' Guimaraes steps up again

St James' felt edgy and nervy.

There were little more than 20 minutes to go and a late winner was far from a foregone conclusion for the hosts.

But the man who scored Newcastle's final goal of 2025 stepped up with their first of 2026 to send his side on the way to another important victory.

Time and time again Bruno Guimaraes has delivered with crucial goals at St James' in recent months.

There were openers against Crystal Palace, Burnley and Nottingham Forest, and even a late winner versus Fulham.

Guimaraes, in the process, has already matched his best goalscoring season for the club with seven goals.

To say he is this side's talisman would be an understatement.

"Bruno is a very special player, person and character," Eddie Howe said.

"He's very positive, has great energy and played a captain's role because that game was always going to be decided by a very key moment - and he has come up with the big one for us. He's done it countless times.

"Your big players normally decide big games and today was a big game for us decided by a huge player in our recent history."