Alan Shearer paid special mention to two Newcastle United stars following their Premier League win over Fulham.
While Newcastle United weren’t at their vintage best on Saturday, three points are all that mattered for Eddie Howe.
Indeed, Newcastle beat Fulham 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Bruno Guimaraes. It was a vital win for the Newcastle United manager and only his side’s third in the Premier League this season.
William Osula took many of the plaudits following the victory and rightly so. Without his boundless energy, the game would surely have drifted to what would have been a disappointing draw.
Still, Shearer selected two other Newcastle players when naming his Team of the Week.
Bruno Guimaraes celebrates after scoring for Newcastle United against Fulham.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Alan Shearer hails Bruno Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw after Newcastle United beat Fulham
The Newcastle United legend included both Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw in his best eleven from the weekend’s action and they were also a duo that Howe paid special mention to himself.
Of Thiaw, Shearer wrote on the Premier League’s official website: “Continued his assured start since joining Newcastle in the summer. Looked really composed on the ball and gave very little away in defence.”
When selecting Guimaraes, the Toon icon wrote: “Led by example once again, with another strong performance in midfield. Just when his team really needed it, he reacted fastest to pounce on the loose ball and score the winner against Fulham.”
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What Eddie Howe said about Bruno Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw
Howe was delighted with the late goal Guimaraes scored against Fulham and would continue to talk up the Brazilian during his post-match press conference.
“How he’s ended up in the box at that moment, I’d love to see back because there must have been a moment where he’s had to put the burners on and foresee what’s going to happen,” he said.
“But that’s down to his motivation, so he’s a very special player and as I say, a special person and we’re lucky to have him.”
Howe also praised Thiaw’s performance against Fulham, with the German defender continuing his fine start to life at the club.
The former AC Milan star is looking like a steal at a reported £34.3million, such has been the immediate impression he has made on Tyneside.
Newcastle will need to improve on their display against Fulham. However, winning while not playing particularly well is sometimes the hallmark of a good team.
Howe needs to find a way to bring a consistent level of performance out of this team but it’s promising that he has senior players on which to lean when the going gets tough.
At some point, this squad will surely click into gear. They’ll be heavy favourites for their next Premier League clash, which comes away at crisis club West Ham, and three points there could help build up a head of steam.