I saw what Bruno Guimaraes did after Newcastle United's win at West Ham - it said everything

Bruno Guimaraes has been a shadow of his usual self in recent weeks but the Brazilian was a leader in every sense of the word against West Ham United on Monday night.

It’s hard to remember a more challenging week than the one just gone, yet it all feels typical in the world of Newcastle United when there is a cup final - a chance to end a 70-year domestic trophy drought - on the horizon.

In the space of a few days, the Magpies’ first-choice left side was wiped out - suspension means Anthony Gordon won’t play again until next month and Lewis Hall is out for the season. Sven Botman too is in a race against time to play again this term after undergoing knee surgery.

Couple that with the fact United are taking on the Premier League champions in waiting, Liverpool, confidence hasn’t exactly been flowing on Tyneside of late.

But doing his best to squash the negative narrative is Newcastle’s skipper Guimaraes. And he did that with actions and words at the London Stadium.

Bruno Guimaraes’ deliberate post-match ploy

After stepping up to score the Magpies’ winner - earning a win to take them level on points with fifth-place Manchester City in the Premier League table - Guimaraes led the post-match celebrations and delivered a passionate interview to the television cameras.

While the rest of his teammates simply applauded the travelling 3,000 Geordies, Guimaraes and fellow Joelinton joined in with chants of ‘EI EI EI O up the Premier League we go’ and ‘tell me ma me ma’.

It felt like a deliberate rallying call, not just to the fans but teammates too. If that weren’t the case, then his quotes afterward definitely were.

“When we play like that, we show the character of the team,” Guimaraes told Sky Sports. “We can beat any team in the world. We just have to be consistent. We keep the clean sheet, we could score more goals, but the most important thing is the three points tonight.

“I think it is massive for the club’s history, and we want to be part of it. We know were going to play against one of the best teams. Hopefully we can go to Wembley and get the title [League Cup].

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“We have seen people - doubters. We are focusing on ourselves. Missing Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall and Sven Botman is not good for us, but to have players who can play well. Today we showed we have a strong squad.”

“I believe that we can win. A final everything could happen. I believe our fans can make a difference for us. For us, it is like the World Cup. We want to make history for this club. It is a long time for the fans without a trophy.”

Guimaraes is a man ready for war and wants everyone in the trenches with him, even if there are a few key troops down.

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