Arsenal latest: Bruno Guimaraes still 'hurting' after mistake as Brazil star's agent speaks out

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A rumoured new contract for Mikel Arteta has given Arsenal a welcome boost as they head into an international break fresh off the back of their first defeat of the campaign. The agreement reportedly keeps the Spaniard in north London until 2030, with his immediate focus on getting the defending champions back on track.

Last Saturday's 3-0 demolition at Brighton brought an abrupt end to a seven-match winning run across the Community Shield, Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup. Having ended their 22-year wait for the league title last term, the Gunners had carried that momentum into the opening weeks of the 2026/27 campaign before coming unstuck at the Amex.

Arsenal remain second in the table, but the manner of that defeat leaves Arteta with plenty to assess. The three-week gap between fixtures offers a chance to review what went wrong and prepare the response he will expect once his players return from international duty.

Away from those preparations, summer signing Bruno Guimaraes has reflected on a difficult moment with Brazil, while Gabriel Martinelli's agent has detailed the options his client considered before leaving Arsenal. Here, football.london rounds up their comments.

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Bruno Guimaraes 'hurt'

Bruno Guimaraes has spoken candidly about the heartbreak of squandering a crucial penalty for Brazil during the 2026 World Cup. In July, the midfielder saw his tame spot-kick saved with the score level at 0-0 during Brazil's last-16 encounter with Norway, as Erling Haaland inspired his side to a remarkable 2-1 triumph.

Guimaraes subsequently completed a high-profile move from Newcastle to Arsenal, though he admits that missing such an important penalty for his nation is a burden he has struggled to shake off.

The Gunners' summer arrival said: "Moving on from what happened, obviously it's a wound, a scar, it's very recent, it still hurts me, it still hurts a lot that this happened. But it's part of football.

"May I learn from my mistakes. Often you learn from victory, but normally we learn from defeat, from what didn't work out. I will continue my daily struggle, my dreams... If there's another penalty and it's awarded to me, I won't hide, I'll take it again a thousand times, because representing this shirt means a lot to me, it's always been my biggest dream.

"It wasn't a good moment, I suffered a lot, but it's time to move on. You can't change the past, but you can change the future.

"After an elimination, you end up seeing a lot of conspiracies about things that don't make any sense," he added. "Before the game, we always have our pre-game talk, and the coach decides who will take the penalty.

"I was the guy chosen to take it. Right then, some players wanted to grab the ball. One player takes it, passes it to another, even trying to fool the goalkeeper. And that's what happened, nothing out of the ordinary.

"Vini (Vinicius Junior) wasn't the designated penalty taker. I was the one who should have taken the penalty. I took the penalty, I missed, I could have scored. That's part of football. We're sad about the criticism of Vini, but it was my turn to take it."

Martinelli’s agent speaks out

Gabriel Martinelli's agent, Marcos Casseb, claims his client turned down approaches from the Premier League, Italy and Germany before finalising his £60million move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal earlier this month. Martinelli appeared to have been pushed out of Arsenal against his wishes after being omitted from the opening two matchday squads by Arteta - a decision that drew sharp criticism from club icon Ian Wright.

The Brazilian winger has wasted no time at his new club, having already netted a hat-trick. Casseb of Roc Nation Sports insists his departure from north London was the right outcome for everyone involved, offering further insight into the process to Brazilian outlet Itatiaia Esporte: "His time at Arsenal has come to an end. It was seven years; he arrived there at 18 years old.

"Arsenal underwent a massive restructuring and, last year, they won the Premier League. We felt it was time for him to move on, and the club had also seen it that way. It was a very good departure for him and for Arsenal. Besides everything else, he also became Arsenal's biggest-ever sale and he still helped Arsenal make a lot of money from his departure.

"Did he get offers? He did yeah. We had offers from Italian clubs, we had offers from German clubs and we had offers from other Premier League clubs but it was a moment when I think he needed and he also wanted to clear his head a bit, to change scenery.

"He went to the biggest club in Asia to be part of a very ambitious project. You can see it in the players that they have brought in, three players who were at the World Cup, each with their respective national teams and three players that are under 27.

"That's a trend in Arab football right now, they're changing the way they want to sign players. They've been trying to do that - lower the average age of the league - and their project has attracted a lot of attention. I think it was really important now for a change of scenery."

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