Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 2-1 Premier League victory over Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners suffered a humbling 3-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on the road before the international break. They made amends by beating Leeds on Saturday.
Leeds took a surprise 55th-minute lead through James Justin, but their joy was short-lived as Riccardo Calafiori put the Gunners level shortly after the hour mark.
Right after his goal, manager Mikel Arteta made a triple change, which included Bruno Guimaraes. He came on to replace Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield.
The Brazil international made an immediate impact. He scored his first Arsenal goal at the Emirates in the 70th minute with a fine strike from the edge of the box.
Beyond his goal, Guimaraes completed 95 percent of his passes. He also won five duels, made five recoveries, and lost possession only a couple of times.
For the second time this season, the 28-year-old stepped off the bench to score a match-winner for Arsenal. He expressed his delight on Instagram after the comeback win.
He wrote: “What a special game today. So happy to have played my first official match at the Emirates Stadium in an Arsenal shirt, scoring a goal and celebrating a win!
“I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Thank you to all the fans for your incredible support. Thank you, God, for everything. All the honour and glory belong to You! Come on, Arsenal.”
Several Arsenal stars responded to his post. There was also a comment from Real Madrid ace and compatriot Vinicius Junior, who appreciated the midfielder’s sublime performance.
Vinicius replied ‘Tu é bom, mano’, which translates to ‘You are good, bro’.
Here is a screenshot
Guimaraes had a forgettable full league debut for Arsenal at Brighton last month. He was outpaced on many occasions and was eventually subbed off at the hour mark.
The midfielder followed that up with a long trip to Australia and India to play for Brazil. This was probably why he started on the bench against Daniel Farke’s side.
Regardless, he made his presence felt off the bench. Declan Rice’s clever back flick fell right into Guimaraes’ path, who scored the winner with a fine low shot.
Guimaraes signed for Arsenal from Newcastle United for £75 million this summer, and he has already proven his worth with match-winning goals against Leeds and Sunderland.
Next up, Arsenal host Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Guimaraes looks certain to make his first Champions League start for the Gunners after Saturday’s superb cameo.
Stats from Sofascore.com