Welcome to The Debrief. Adam Bate’s Sky Sports column combines data with opinion to analyze some of the most important stories from the Premier League matches. This week:
Guimaraes’ all-round play in midfieldWilliams’ tackling against SalahWharton’s passing makes the differenceGuimaraes a complete midfielder
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Highlights from Newcastle vs Manchester Premier League match City
Pep Guardiola and Bruno Guimaraes’ exchange after the final whistle of Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Manchester has received a lot of attention. City Guardiola’s comments about him were more insightful than his Saturday performance. “He is a very special player.”
Guimaraes played a part in both goals scored by Harvey Barnes, but Guimaraes also assisted the first. Barnes scored the winning goal after Barnes’ header off the crossbar. It was Guimaraes’ driving run which earned him the assist. Guimaraes may be a tough, aggressive player but his game is much more than that.
Since 2022, only Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell (and Everton’s Idrissa Ghoue) have made more tackles. He’s created more chances in the opposing half and completed more passing than both players combined.
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Guimaraes’ stats at Newcastle United highlight his all-round midfield play
He is in the top ten this season in terms of winning the ball back from the opposition in the final third. But he’s also in the top ten for successful passes made in that area. He is 11th in distance covered and tops for through-balls, such as that one into the channel which set up Barnes’ early chance.
Eddie Howe understands this. Recently, he stated that Eddie Howe is a special player. “His desire to win is evident in his every move. “His professionalism in preparing himself to play at the highest level is what I believe you are rewarded for.”
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2025-11-24 10:55:00
