Newcastle United moved to seventh in the Premier League after beating Ipswich Town 4-0 at Portman Road on Saturday.
Alexander Isak scored a hat-trick for the Magpies and Jacob Murphy added another as Newcastle pick up three wins on the trot in all competitions.
It was a great performance from the visitors, who completely outplayed their opponent in terrible weather conditions. The only surprise from that game was the scoreline, as Newcastle should have scored more, such was their dominance.
It was mainly down to outstanding work in midfield, with both Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali putting in a top-level performance.
Alan Shearer was heavily impressed by Guimaraes, and he highlighted how well the Brazilian played while analysing the game on Match of the Day.
He was involved in several goal-scoring moments, including one for Isak, and could have scored himself with a header which narrowly went off target.
Shearer highlighted one frame where Guimaraes played out an exquisite pass to Anthony Gordon on the left, which he described as “unbelievable”.
“What about that for a pass! It was just an unbelievable pass, straight into Gordon on that left-hand side,” said Shearer while watching footage on BBC Match of the Day.
Tactical tweaks from Newcastle paying off
Howe has made little tweaks in the system, allowing Tonali and Guimaraes to excel in midfield. Tonali sits deep in a number six role, and Guiamares has been asked to play further up the pitch.
The role suits the Italian perfectly. He plays out smart forward passes, makes tackles and intelligent interceptions, and retains possession, and the 24-year-old did that with perfection against Ipswich.
Guimaraes, on the other hand, is a master of playing out key passes. He is flamboyant and has a natural flair in his game, and Howe appears to have finally found a way to make the system work.
The likes of Isak, Tonali, and Guimaraes have been constantly linked with a move away from the Magpies, but Howe needs his key players to win trophies at the club.
Read More: National press react to Newcastle star’s performance v Ipswich Town.