With the mood and spirit of players and fans alike on a knife-edge following a recent exit from one cup competition and a loss of form heading into the final of another, up stepped captain Bruno Guimarães to ensure Newcastle United came away from their Monday night encounter with middling West Ham at the London Stadium with a vital victory and three points in their battle to secure European football for next season.

The Magpies’ captain and midfield talisman grabbed the only goal of the game, turning home an incisive cross from left-winger Harvey Barnes past West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola in the 63rd minute—on a night when both the result and the fitness of the available first-team squad were crucial ahead of the club’s most important match of the season to date: next week’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

The match, in truth, was a poor one with a lack of quality from both teams. The hosts, still attempting to find their identity under the recently appointed Graham Potter, rarely posed a significant threat to the visitors’ backline throughout the game, despite making a bright start in the opening minutes. A long ball forward into the channel found Mohammed Kudus in space, whose delivery into the box caused havoc for Newcastle’s rearguard, falling to the feet of Tomáš Souček, who fired over the crossbar.

Following an opening 15 minutes of West Ham energy and desire to play direct—bypassing the midfield and putting pressure on Newcastle’s defensive unit—the Magpies gradually gained control as the first half wore on. The midfield trio of Bruno, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali orchestrated play and dictated the tempo as the Hammers began to retreat into a deep defensive shape, with at least eight outfield players behind the ball at times. This compact setup denied Newcastle’s forward line space to maneuver, causing attacks to break down around West Ham’s penalty area.

The best chances of the half fell to Harvey Barnes, who was selected in place of the suspended Anthony Gordon. However, he was denied on multiple occasions by Areola. Barnes’s performance on the night, while not a scintillating one, was a positive display considering his return from injury, lack of time in the starting lineup, and the challenge of facing Aaron Wan-Bissaka—who has looked revitalized since his switch from Manchester United and was arguably West Ham’s best performer on the night.

Whilst it’s unclear at this stage whether Barnes will start in the cup final against Liverpool or if Eddie Howe will revert to a more trusted source of wing play in Joe Willock, his reliability as a goal threat is unquestioned and will give the gaffer food for thought ahead of naming his starting eleven for Sunday’s clash.

Although the visitors continued to dictate the flow of the match, their defensive vulnerabilities once again reared their ugly head. Another long ball over the top from West Ham drew both Dan Burn and Fabian Schär out of position, creating space in behind for Mohammed Kudus to run into the penalty area—only to be denied a clear opportunity by a covering Kieran Trippier. This proved to be the final highlight of the half—one which, despite Newcastle’s dominance in possession, left a lingering sense that missed opportunities could come back to haunt them.

The opening minutes of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with West Ham showing more energy and purpose, while a series of misplaced passes and errors stunted Newcastle’s attempts to reassert themselves after the restart. However, it didn’t take long for the visitors to find their stride, creating the first opening of the half—albeit with a shade of luck—as Bruno’s defense-splitting pass set Jacob Murphy away down the right. His cross into the box took a deflection off West Ham’s Max Kilman, looping toward the net before Areola clawed it away into the path of Alexander Isak. However, with the ball falling behind him, Isak could only air his rebound effort over the bar.

Amid suggestions that he has been carrying a lingering injury in recent weeks, Isak was relatively quiet throughout the match. While his style of play allowed him to contribute in the buildup, he was never presented with—or able to fashion—an opportunity to add to his goal tally. Nonetheless, supporters will keep their fingers crossed that, as he has done so many times this season, Isak will rise to the occasion when it matters most.

Areola’s miraculous piece of goalkeeping should have served as a warning to the home side. Moments later, Barnes’s shot ricocheted off a West Ham defender and fell kindly back to him, allowing him to play a pinpoint cross into Bruno, who stabbed the ball under the goalkeeper to put the Magpies in front. The decision to pass the captain’s armband to Bruno this season has raised questions and scepticism, but his performance on this night epitomized true leadership—graft and determination, encouragement for his teammates, and moments that alter the course of a match.

In response to falling behind, Graham Potter made four attacking substitutions in an attempt to rescue the game for West Ham. However, despite adopting a more front-footed approach out of desperation, there was no flurry of chances at either end, as Newcastle saw out the remainder of the match with relative ease to claim a hard-fought win under tense circumstances.

While the performance failed to live up to the high standards this team has set—whether this season or in years gone by—the result was ultimately what mattered most heading into a week where pressure and intensity will only increase ahead of a match that could define the legacy of this team for years to come.

Next up, just the small matter of a stroll down Wembley Way.