Bruno Guimarães admitted sleepless nights before leaving Newcastle, hopes for Arsenal “love”

Bruno Guimarães had “many” sleepless nights before his Newcastle exit, but says he’s now hoping to feel the same “love” he enjoyed at St James’ Park at Arsenal. He explained that the hardest part wasn’t only telling Eddie Howe, but also informing the owners and his teammates. “It was not just hard to tell Eddie…,” Guimarães said, adding that he never felt so loved as he did in Newcastle.

A new test to keep growing

The decision came during a turbulent summer for the club, with rotations and key departures including Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, while the manager also left. Still, Guimarães insisted it was time to move on and that he’s been enjoying his new challenge. He’s already made an impact: his first Arsenal goal helped secure a 2-0 win at Sunderland in September, and a couple of Premier League matches later he scored the winner at home vs Leeds.

Rice, Ødegaard and Arteta’s balance

In the Champions League tie at Bayern on Wednesday, he almost added another decisive moment, only for Manuel Neuer to deny his close-range header. The match finished 2-2, with Arsenal equalising through Declan Rice in the 82nd minute. Guimarães also spoke about the fluidity of Arsenal’s midfield with Rice and Martin Ødegaard, noting that Arteta looks for the right balance: “Declan can play… as a No 6, No 8 or No 10.” Next up for Arsenal is Everton at home on Saturday.