Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães has revealed he spent his two-month injury lay off analysing XG, and how he can improve his goalscoring tally.
GE Globo have an interview with the Brazilian today. He admits he believes he’s in a blessed period for goals and is intending to score more in future.
Newcastle return
Bruno Guimarães returned to action for Newcastle on Saturday after a two-month absence. The 28-year-old had been out of action since February with a hamstring injury.
That saw him spend 63 days on the treatment table and miss 12 games in the process. It was a bitter blow for Eddie Howe’s side, who have missed their captain sorely.
Guimarães has been a key player again this season. But he’s added another dimension to his game, goals. This season he’s got nine in 24 in the Premier League, alongside five assists. Morgan Gibbs-White is the only midfielder with more, on 12.
It’s the best goalscoring tally in the Premier League so far, beating his previous best of seven in 2023/24. The improved tally, according to the Newcastle midfielder, comes from simply taking more shots.
“This freedom I have to step into the box, to attack, and to attack the ball inside the penalty area, these are things I’ve always loved doing, right from my very beginnings at Athletico,” he said.
“Ultimately, I’m much more mature now, much more experienced, and I know how to make my runs much more effectively. And, without a doubt, I’m taking a lot more shots, too.
“I figure the more shots you take, the better your chances are of scoring a goal—though I also feel like I’m just in a “blessed moment” right now, I’d say.”
XG numbers analysed
The recent injury break might have been a blow, but it did provide the Newcastle midfielder with an ample opportunity to analyse his game.
That saw the Brazilian take a deep dive into his XG numbers. And he discovered something interesting when he did.
“Man, during that time I was sidelined, I actually took a look at my “expected goals” (xG) statistics, and my expected goals figure was sitting at four [per season],” he added.
“I’ve got nine goals; the ball is connecting, and it’s finding the back of the net. So, you just have to keep shooting no matter what.
“Even if there’s an unmarked teammate available, take the shot anyway, because right now, it’s resulting in goals. The goals are flowing; I feel like I’m in a moment of divine inspiration.”
Special goal vs Burnley
The most special goal this season was undoubtedly a striker direct from a corner kick against Burnley.
That moment appeared to be one of divine inspiration. But Bruno Guimarães insists that it was actually part of a targeted plan from Newcastle.
“Full credit goes to me, of course, for the execution of the kick,” he concluded.
“However, it was something we had actually worked on during the week; we noticed that Burnley seemed to struggle quite a bit against direct balls into the box. So, I spent practically the entire week practicing striking the ball toward the goal, and it paid off beautifully.
“It was a spectacular strike, the most beautiful goal of my entire career. I’ve actually tried it a few other times since then, twice the ball hit the post, so who knows? Maybe there’s another one coming soon!”
