Bruno Guimarães has finally had the home debut he was waiting for at Arsenal, and he made sure to mark it with a goal.
The Brazilian midfielder scored in Arsenal’s win over Leeds United, revealing afterwards that it was actually his first competitive appearance at home since joining from Newcastle United.
Injuries had kept him out of the previous opportunities, so he was understandably desperate to get on the pitch.
And there was another little surprise waiting for him before kick-off. Apparently, Riccardo Calafiori has developed quite a taste for Brazilian music.
Bruno Guimarães finally gets his Arsenal home debut
Speaking to Brazilian reporter João Castelo Branco after the Leeds match, Guimarães explained why the occasion meant so much to him.
“It was a difficult game. I’m happy too. It sounds crazy, but it was my first official home game,” he said.
“I didn’t play against Coventry because I was injured. Against Chelsea, I’d just come back, I was injured as well, so I didn’t come on.”
“So this was my first official home game. I was desperate to get out there and play my best football.”
At least the wait ended in the best possible way.
“I’m happy with the goal, with the win and, well, I think the Premier League is getting harder and harder,” he continued. “Leeds are a very difficult team to play against.”
“But anyway, it was important to bounce back after that painful defeat against Brighton, when we didn’t play well.”
“Winning today gives us confidence because there are still a lot of games ahead.”
It’s a useful result for Arsenal after that Brighton setback, and an important personal moment for Guimaraes. He’d spoken previously about needing time to adjust after leaving Newcastle, where he’d spent years as one of the club’s most important players.
Now he’s finally had the chance to enjoy a competitive home appearance, complete with a goal.
Calafiori’s surprising taste in Brazilian music
The Brazilian reporter had noticed some samba took over the Emirates’ speakers during Arsenal’s warm-up. He wondered whether Guimarães or Gabriel had chosen the playlist.
“Calafiori! Can you believe it?” Guimarães laughed. “It was Calafiori’s choice when the music started playing today. I said, ‘I chose that one.’ And he was like, ‘No, it was me, it was me.’ He likes Brazilian music, he really does.”
As revealed by Calafiori himself, Arsenal’s Brazilian influence apparently extends beyond the Brazilian players themselves.
Anyway, after a frustrating wait, Bruno G finally has a goal, a win and a funny little story to take away from his first home appearance.
