‘Fat Rat’—Bruno Guimaraes Sends Scathing Message After First Arsenal Goal

Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimarães was all too happy to bite back at taunts from Sunderland fans after scoring his first goal for the Gunners on Saturday.

Guimarães opened the scoring of Saturday’s 2–0 win over Sunderland shortly before the hour mark and used his celebration to make a number of gestures towards the Black Cats fans, including cupping his ears for a chorus of boos and pinching his fingers to suggest Sunderland are a small club.

Those images then featured in an Instagram post after the final whistle as Guimarães also referred to prematch taunts from Sunderland fans who branded the midfielder, formerly of fierce rivals Newcastle United, a “fat rat” as he entered the stadium.

“The fat rat wishes you a nice weekend,” Guimarães wrote alongside a reference to his small club jibe: “They know what they are.”

Arteta: A Special Game for Guimarães

An away trip to Sunderland is, with no disrespect, hardly the most significant fixture on the calendar of any Arsenal player, but it is a game which has meant so much to Guimarães over the years during his time at Newcastle.

Last season, Sunderland did the double over Newcastle. Guimarães played the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in December 2025 before missing the return fixture, a 2–1 loss, through injury. As Newcastle captain last season, those results will have hit the Brazilian hard.

Finally enjoying a taste of revenge, Guimarães’s ability to perform in such a hostile environment drew particular praise from manager Mikel Arteta.

“Unbelievable, but again the personality that he has, and this was a special game for him as well, what it means for him,” Arteta reflected after the final whistle.