Newcastle produced a dominant performance to beat Everton 3-1 in midweek in what felt like a real turning point in their season.
Three of their January transfer window signings were involved in the starting lineup, as Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Chris Wood all played their part in securing the three points.
Fellow new signings Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes were left on the bench as Eddie Howe decided to stick with the majority of the same side that beat Leeds United a fortnight before.
But now Howe must make the decision of when to start Guimaraes, the star man signed from Lyon who they splashed out £33 million on.
And despite the midfield trio of Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock and Joelinton performing so well against Everton, Howe has said that Guimaraes is “ready to play” ahead of this weekend’s clash with Aston Villa.
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Speaking to the Newcastle media on Friday, Howe said: "He's ready to play. He's shown all the technical qualities that we love about him in training already but it's a case of managing the group & making sure I make the right selections. I thought the midfield balance against Everton was really good."
And that is exactly the difficulty facing Howe ahead of this weekend. Who does he drop to bring in Guimaraes?
Seeing as Willock was the one to be replaced for the Brazilian to make his debut in midweek, it would suggest that he may be the favourite.
Especially since Joelinton has reinvented himself as an excellent engine in midfield and doesn’t look like being dropped anytime soon, while Shelvey provides something different with his eye for a long ball and tough tackling.
But then again, Guimaraes is the best of them all and rightly deserves to be the first name on the team sheet, although adapting to the style of the Premier League doesn’t happen overnight.
But following his minor cameo against the Toffees, Guimaraes certainly didn’t waste any time in showcasing his ability and produced a few moments to get Newcastle fans on their feet.
Speaking about Bruno after the Everton game, Howe said: "He's a technician.
"You saw from his cameo that he's confident in his ability, which is great, and I think he is going to be an outstanding player for the club for many years.
"It will take him time to get to the pace of the Premier League but he is not afraid to mix it."
Every game between now and the end of the season is huge as the Magpies aim to beat the drop.
And should they pick up another three points on Sunday, they could pull four points clear of the relegation zone, depending on other results.
Howe knows that he must play his best players at all times in order to have the best chance of winning games, and that would mean starting Guimaraes on Sunday.
