Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães did not hold back his feelings after his team's disappointing 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The Magpies captain labeled the performance "embarrassing" and a "mess," openly criticizing his teammates for a lack of effort, consistency, and fight.

The highly anticipated derby, the first Premier League meeting between the two rivals since March 2016, saw Sunderland secure a narrow victory courtesy of a Nick Woltemade own goal early in the second half. The game was a lackluster affair, registering the fewest shots (11) and the lowest expected goals (xG) total (0.54) of any Premier League match this season. Newcastle managed a meager six shots, with only two finding the target.

Guimarães, who captained Newcastle and played the entire match, did not mince words when assessing his team's performance. "I'm very angry, I'm so embarrassed, and I'm so frustrated," he stated. "There was no crossing, no passing, and no shooting. No nothing. It was a mess, in my opinion." He went on to say, "We know we have a better team than them (Sunderland), but we didn't play like the better team. It was a mess."

The Brazilian midfielder questioned the team's mentality and lack of competitiveness. "The consistency isn't there, the mentality isn't there. We didn't compete. The fans expect and deserve better," Guimarães declared. He further lamented the team's inability to adapt to Sunderland's tactics: "We accepted the way they play with the long balls. You need to compete in a derby, and we didn't."

Guimarães acknowledged the criticism from the fans was justified, stating, "The fans are right [to criticize] because it's a tough one to accept." He added, "We had a great opportunity to go in front of them, and we just missed it. For me, it's so frustrating."

When asked if this was his most painful defeat since joining Newcastle, Guimarães responded, "Definitely, yes. It's not just as a defeat, more the way we play." He expressed his disappointment with the team's lack of energy and failure to execute basic skills like crossing and passing.

Newcastle's manager, Eddie Howe, also apologized to the fans for the team's performance. "That will sting for a long time," Howe said. "We know our performance was off what we needed to be… I am disappointed for the supporters and sorry for our performance, for a lack of goalmouth action and clinical attacking." He admitted the team "weren't good enough to open them up" and that the "quality was missing" in their attacking play.

The defeat leaves Newcastle sitting in 12th place in the Premier League, while Sunderland's victory propels them further up the table. The Magpies will be looking to bounce back in their upcoming matches, with Guimarães emphasizing the need to "beat everyone, improve our form, qualify the club for the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, qualify for the Champions League and improve our level in the Premier League as well".