'He likes the pressure': Dion Dublin heaps praise on Newcastle United star after huge performance against Burnley
Newcastle United put in another Jekyll and Hyde performance at St James' Park on Saturday but managed to come away with three points against Burnley.
The Clarets did their best to make things easy for Eddie Howe's team, getting a player sent off and conceding a penalty in the first half.
However, as has been the case too often, Newcastle struggled to press home their one-man advantage. Despite their dominance of the ball and constant pressure, clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
We'd be foolish not to acknowledge Martin Dubravka in that, though. The ex-Toon keeper was in inspired form for Burnley and kept them in the game as they mounted a late surge that saw them handed a penalty from which they scored, and then also almost equalising with the last kick of the game.
Bruno Guimaraes impressed Dion Dublin on Match of the Day
One man in black and white kept Newcastle on the front foot all game, though, and that was the captain, Bruno Guimaraes, who scored Newcastle's opener direct from a corner and almost added a stunning second with the outside of his right boot in the second half.
Dion Dublin watched our game for Match of the Day and he was very impressed with Bruno, calling him a 'serial performer'.
“He’s like a serial performer. He just seems to… he likes the pressure, he likes the responsibility of being skipper. He’s cultured, he’s got awareness, everything revolves around him.
“He can do it with his bad foot, his good foot, he tries everything to get the team over the line. He made more passes than anyone else against Burnley. If there is ever a spark at Newcastle, it’s him.”
Newcastle can carry this win into the Wear-Tyne derby on Sunday
Bruno scored that goal direct from a corner and seemed to keep trying to replicate it every time he was given the opportunity. It was only the 20th time a goal has been scored direct from a corner in the Premier League so the odds weren't exactly in his favour.
That win, as frustrating as it was, came at a perfect time as Sunderland got beat 3-0 by Manchester City which will be a blow to them ahead of the derby at the weekend, and now the gap stands at just one point.
For you non-mathematicians out there, that means a Newcastle win on Sunday will see us rightfully restored to a Premier League position above our local rivals for the first time this season. Not that our lads should need any more incentive to win the game.
