Bruno Guimaraes scored his first Arsenal goal and trolled Sunderland fans online after a 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light. The midfielder, who left Newcastle United for Arsenal in a £75million summer transfer, was booed by the home crowd as he came on as a second-half substitute.
Goal and gesture silence the boos
Guimaraes gave Arsenal the lead in the 58th minute with a strike from the edge of the area, silencing the majority of the 48,707 inside the ground. He then made a 'small' gesture with his fingers as he celebrated. Bukayo Saka added a second from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Sunderland defender Reinildo brought him down and received a second yellow card.
After the match, Guimaraes posted a photo collage of his goal and celebrations on social media, writing: "They know what they are. The fat rat wishes you a nice weekend." The 'fat rat' reference relates to an insult hurled at the midfielder by a supporter as he arrived at the Stadium of Light, and is not a dig at Newcastle fans.
Newcastle history acknowledged
Guimaraes' move to Arsenal was part of a major summer shake-up at Newcastle, which also saw Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon leave. In his post-match interview with TNT Sports, Guimaraes said: "Yeah, a beautiful goal and a very good place. Everyone knows my past, had an amazing history at Newcastle but now I'm trying to create new history here and it starts with the right foot."
What's next for both clubs
Sunderland, who sit 14th in the Premier League after the defeat, face AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League on Wednesday, September 16, before hosting Manchester City on Sunday, September 20. Arsenal take on Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, September 15, and then face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, September 19.
