Newcastle United have enjoyed an impressive start to the Premier League campaign as they currently sit sixth in the table after nine matches.

Eddie Howe's side have only lost once in the top-flight so far, winning three and drawing five, and are coming off the back of 5-1 and 4-1 wins over Brentford and Fulham respectively.

The strong recruitment in the transfer market since PIF completed their takeover of the club has played a huge role in the success on the pitch, with the likes of Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes making big contributions.

Guimaraes, in particular, has been in sublime form since joining the club from Ligue 1 side Lyon in January and was recently compared to a former Newcastle cult hero in Hatem Ben Arfa.

Speaking on talkSPORT, retired striker Darren Bent said: "He reminds me of Ben Arfa. They always get these types of players that are a little bit maverick but have got all the ability.

"The only difference between him and Ben Arfa is that I think he will be a little bit more consistent whereas Ben Arfa would sometimes go missing but when he turned it on he turned it on. They kind of remind me of the same person."

Between 2011 and 2015, the French attacker produced 14 goals and 15 assists in 86 matches and was no stranger to a wondergoal, as he was capable of providing moments of magic on the pitch.

Guimaraes is similar in that he has already shown he has the ability to score sensational goals in the Premier League. The £120k-per-week gem scored a stunning solo goal from distance against Brentford recently and found the back of the net with an impudent flick against Southampton last season.

Speaking on MatchDay Extra on Premier League Productions (08/10/22 at 8:20 pm), Glenn Hoddle previously heaped praise on the Brazilian gem's all-round game, saying:

“He has a bit of everything. He shows his strength and desire to run with the ball, then he is looking forward to pass. He has this energy about him. He is a modern-day player, in the sense that he has everything. He’s an 8/10 in everything he tries to do.”

This suggests that he has more to him than the occasional wondergoal and the statistics back that up. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.57 in the Premier League this season - the sixth best in the whole league - and made 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he works hard for the team defensively as no other player in the squad can match that.

The dynamo, who has seven goals and two assists in 23 top-flight appearances for the club, has proven that he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch and that is reflected in his average rating.

Howe has certainly unearthed a new talismanic cult hero for Newcastle, a Ben Arfa 2.0 if you will, in Guimaraes and the head coach will be hoping that the former Lyon man will continue to go from strength to strength in the years to come.