Newcastle United went into today’s game with Tottenham Hotspur expecting a hard-fought clash with another side chasing Champions League football, and the latter knew the challenge they faced. The neutral tuned in to see two top-quality outfits clash at St James’ Park.

Nobody could have predicted what unfolded.

Ahead inside two minutes, Jacob Murphy’s close-range finish would be the first of five before 22 minutes had been played in Tyneside. Cristian Stellini’s decision to play four at the back was questionable, but even he could not have accounted for the monumental collapse of his side before the game had even got going.

There were neat finishes, long-range screamers and tap-ins, all of which culminated in the final 6-1 scoreline. Then, having taken their foot off the gas, with Harry Kane netting nothing more than a consolation, Callum Wilson combined with Miguel Almiron off the bench to quell any minimal threat of a comeback.

The Magpies were imperious and unstoppable, backed by the raucous home support. A day few around those parts will not forget in a hurry.

Whilst the goalscorers will likely steal the headlines, with Alexander Isak and Murphy both boasting braces, there was another who deserved fine praise.

Indeed, Bruno Guimaraes was in the engine room silently orchestrating this historic result.

How did Bruno Guimaraes play vs Spurs?

With a 7.8 rating for his display, this perhaps underplays the Brazilian’s importance in today’s result. He was ever-present alongside the industrious Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, adding touches of quality to cap off a perfect afternoon.

His 79 touches alone outline his importance, maintaining a 90% pass accuracy throughout his 70 minutes on the field. To uphold such perfection whilst also recording four key passes only exacerbates the highest level of quality on exhibition today, via Sofascore.

Dictating the play in such a way led Brazilian journalist Vincenzo Dalicani to brand him Newcastle’s “steering wheel.”

However, the £120k-per-week maestro was far from just technically proficient today. It was also a battling performance that earned the 25-year-old the right to play his football, as he made two tackles and won six of the seven duels he competed in at an 85% success rate.

As aforementioned, few could have predicted such a stellar all-around team display from the hosts. However, to see Guimaraes dictating the play in the midfield and at the heart of a famous win is far from a surprise. It’s actually becoming commonplace now as this magnificent outfit seemingly cannot be stopped.