WHY BRUNO GUIMARAES IS CURRENTLY THE BEST CAPTAIN IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Bruno Guimaraes leads Newcastle to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Read the full match report and Eddie Howe’s expert analysis.
Newcastle United kicked off 2026 with a solid 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at St. James’ Park, jumping up to ninth place in the Premier League. The first half didn’t offer much, but things changed after the break. Bruno Guimaraes, wearing the captain’s armband, nodded in his seventh goal of the season to finally break the deadlock. That puts him level with Nick Woltemade as Newcastle’s top scorer in the league this year.
Not long after, Guimaraes whipped in a corner, and Malick Thiaw was right there to tap it home from close range. That’s Thiaw’s first goal at St. James’ since joining from AC Milan over the summer.
Guimaraes has been on a roll lately—he scored in the 3-1 win over Burnley to close out 2025, and now he’s helped Newcastle bag back-to-back victories to start the new year. After the match, the 28-year-old shared his excitement on Instagram: “We finished 2025 in the best possible way and started 2026 even better! Happy with the three points and another goal. We’re giving everything we have to achieve our objectives this year. Howay the lads!” Thiaw chimed in with a comment, calling him the “Magician.”
Thiaw, still buzzing after his goal, told Premier League Productions just how much he rates his captain: “Bruno Guimaraes is incredible. Off the pitch, a super nice guy—but on the pitch, his quality speaks for itself. Some things he does, I’m like, wow—what a player! Scoring my first goal at St. James’ was amazing. Celebrating in front of the fans, you could just see the emotion on their faces. And that celebration with Nick? We started it when he scored, and it’s just stuck.”
Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s head coach, didn’t hold back on his praise for Guimaraes after the final whistle. “Bruno is a very special player, a special person, a special character. He’s got great energy. He played a captain’s role today—this was always going to be a game decided by big moments, and he delivered again. He’s done it so many times. Your big players decide big games, and today, Bruno was the difference for us.”
It’s been almost four years since Guimaraes arrived from Lyon, and in that time, he’s made 182 appearances and scored 29 goals. Newcastle have qualified for the Champions League twice and finally ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy with the Carabao Cup. Guimaraes keeps showing why he’s such a huge part of this team’s recent success.
EDDIE HOWE CONFIRMS NEWCASTLE LINEUP SHIFTS ARE PART OF A MAJOR FUTURE STRATEGY
Eddie Howe confirms he is picking Newcastle lineups with next season in mind, trialling players like Ramsey and Woltemade early.
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe isn’t pretending he’s already thinking about next season. People have been saying Kieran Trippier is close to triggering a payment if he plays more games, so that might influence whether he features again before the season ends. But Howe brushed that off and said he’s making his decisions purely for football reasons.
Talking to reporters at the City Ground about why Anthony Gordon was missing, Howe admitted he’s picking his lineup with the future in mind. Later, in his press conference, he went into more detail about focusing on what comes next at St James’ Park.
"We’re definitely looking ahead," Howe said. "You can see it in some of the choices I’m making with the team. I want to get a look at some players and see how they might grow into the squad."
One of those players is Jacob Ramsey, who came off the bench, set up Harvey Barnes with a great pass, and really changed the game. "I thought Jacob Ramsey was brilliant when he came on against Forest. He really made a difference, and so did Harvey. It’s good to see players taking their chances," Howe said.
He added, "We have to be thinking about the future now and what the team’s going to look like next year. That’s our responsibility at this point."
Before the match, Howe surprised a lot of fans by starting Lewis Hall at right-back, Nick Woltemade in midfield, and pushing Joelinton further forward than usual. Again, Howe explained he wants to see what players can do in different positions.
"It wasn’t some huge change from Brighton; we kept the same shape," Howe said. "But for Nick, this was only one of a few times he’s started in that role for us. He played alongside Will, and they haven’t had much time together either.
"There were positives for Nick, but he wasn’t involved as much as we wanted in the first half. We still need to see his best on the ball. In the second half, though, I thought we got better as a team. We attacked more and looked like a real threat as the match wore on."
MAGPIES EYE £1M BARGAIN TIAGO GABRIEL TO SOLVE GROWING DEFENSIVE INJURY CRISIS
Newcastle are leading the race against Juventus for Tiago Gabriel, the 21-year-old Serie A defensive sensation.
Newcastle United appear to be keeping an eye on Lecce’s young defender Tiago Gabriel as they consider potential options for the summer transfer window.
With Fabian Schar’s contract due to expire at the end of June, the Magpies are preparing for the possibility of his departure. Although an extension is still on the table, Schar has been sidelined since early January because of an ankle injury and doesn't seem close to making a comeback.
At 21, Gabriel has featured 36 times across all competitions this season for Lecce, who are currently four points clear of the Serie A relegation zone. Newcastle’s recruitment team is among those following his development, seemingly interested in exploring a move once the transfer window opens.
Back in December, reports surfaced that both West Ham and Juventus were also tracking Gabriel’s progress. The young defender, who came through Sporting CP’s academy, has had a strong season and will enter the final year of his contract this summer.
Gabriel transferred to Lecce last January for slightly over £1 million, moving from Portuguese club Estrela Amadora. Should he leave this summer, a significantly higher fee might be expected, reflecting his rise in form.
Before joining Estrela Amadora, Gabriel had been part of Setúbal's academy after leaving Sporting in 2020. His performances have earned him regular appearances for Portugal’s Under-21 side, and senior international opportunities may not be far off.
A switch to the Premier League could potentially boost his profile substantially, but he will likely weigh his options with some care.
According to O Jogo, Newcastle continue to monitor his situation keenly as interest around the defender grows.
Regarding Fabian Schar’s future, things remain uncertain even with just weeks left on his current deal. While Kieran Trippier has been publicly confirmed to be leaving upon contract expiration, no similar announcement has come for Schar.
Last week, Howe commented on the defender’s status, noting that no definitive decision has been made yet. He emphasised Schar’s value to the team, pointing out his unique role as a ball-playing defender and his versatility in various defensive setups.
Schar’s influence on the pitch and experience are clearly appreciated, and the club hopes he can regain full fitness before the season concludes. As for any new contract talks, Howe suggested it’s a matter of waiting to see how things unfold.
