Bruno Guimaraes made the difference for Newcastle United as they beat West Ham in the Premier League.
Newcastle United managed to stay focused and pick up an important three points in London by beating West Ham 1-0 on Monday evening.
Eddie Howe celebrated wildly as the full-time whistle went knowing that his team managed to put thoughts of Wembley to the back of their head.
Bruno Guimaraes starred against West Ham, breaking the deadlock in the second half with a well-taken goal – his third of the season.
After the job was done and Newcastle kept pace in their push for Champions League qualification, attention could turn to the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Eddie Howe exposed West Ham weakness
Newcastle’s performance against West Ham was far from pretty, but the Magpies got the job done and kept a clean sheet in the process.
Howe went full strength with his lineup and the risk paid off, with Newcastle climbing back up to sixth in the Premier League table.
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Guimaraes latched on to Harvey Barnes’ cross to break the deadlock, and after full-time he revealed that Howe had pointed out that the Hammers were vulnerable to crosses.
When asked about his more advanced midfield role against West Ham, Guimaraes said: “The gaffer has given me more freedom to be in the box. Today it was a good goal.
“We worked that hard, and we have seen some videos of them struggling with some crosses.”
Clearly Howe’s pre-match preparation paid off, with Newcastle’s crossing making the difference.
What tactics will Eddie Howe use in Carabao Cup final?
In the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Howe surprised Arsenal tactically by lining up with a five-at-the-back system.
In that match, Newcastle picked up a 2-0 win by sitting deep, frustrating their opponents and counter-attacking.
However, it would be a huge risk if Howe tries to replicate that against Liverpool at Wembley. Sitting deep invites pressure, and Liverpool’s front line have been in great form.
READ MORE: Bruno Guimaraes names Newcastle United’s two biggest weapons for Carabao Cup final vs Liverpool
Newcastle paid the price when they tried to play Anthony Gordon centrally against Liverpool earlier this month. Arne Slot’s side ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.
Howe’s plan has worked so far so he will likely stick with his 4-3-3 formation against Liverpool. But, like against West Ham, he will be looking for any minor weaknesses that his side can exploit.