In the dying seconds of Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Newcastle on December 1, 2025, the cameras caught something that sent social media into meltdown: Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães wrapping his hand around Cristian Romero’s throat and shoving him backwards. The Argentine, now wearing the Spurs armband in Son Heung-min’s absence, reacted with fury. Referee Jarred Gillett showed yellow cards to both players, but the image of one of the Premier League’s most explosive centre-backs being manhandled by a midfielder has dominated headlines ever since.

What really happened? Was it just heat-of-the-moment frustration, or is there a deeper, nastier rivalry that’s been simmering for years?

Let’s start with the incident itself. In the 94th minute, with Spurs desperately protecting their lead, Romero slid in aggressively on Guimarães just outside the Newcastle box. The challenge was late, reckless, and caught the Brazilian high on the shin. Guimarães immediately squared up, chest-to-chest, words were exchanged, and then, in a flash, the Newcastle man’s right hand shot up to Romero’s throat. Not a slap, not a push, an actual grab and shove that left the Spurs defender staggering.

Romero’s reaction told its own story. He didn’t flop dramatically. He didn’t roll around clutching his neck. He looked genuinely stunned, then incandescent with rage. Within seconds he was screaming in Guimarães’ face, held back only by teammates and opponents alike. Even as the players walked off, Romero kept turning back, pointing, shouting something that lip-readers swear was a promise of future retribution.

But this wasn’t random. Anyone who’s followed these two South Americans over the past three seasons knows exactly why the red mist descended so quickly.

The bad blood began in earnest during the 2023-24 season. In a fiery 4-1 Newcastle win at St James’ Park, Romero caught Guimarães with a studs-up challenge that left the midfielder limping. Guimarães later called it “a leg-breaker” in a post-match interview, claiming Romero had smirked as he walked away. Tottenham fans dismissed it as sour grapes. Newcastle supporters still bring it up every time the teams meet.

Fast forward to last season’s corresponding fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. With the score locked at 1-1, Romero and Guimarães clashed again, this time in the tunnel at half-time. According to multiple sources inside the stadium that night, the pair had to be separated by stewards after Romero allegedly told Guimarães, in Spanish, that he “wouldn’t finish the game walking.” Guimarães responded by calling Romero “a dirty butcher” loud enough for nearby journalists to hear. Both clubs played it down publicly, but the animosity was now personal.

There’s also the international angle that few English pundits mention. Romero and Guimarães are not just club rivals; they’re direct competitors for places in the Brazil-Argentina rivalry that defines South American football. Romero is a World Cup winner and a cornerstone of Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina side. Guimarães, despite his undeniable quality, has never quite nailed down a starting spot for Brazil under a succession of coaches. Every time Romero dominates a Premier League midfield, it’s another reminder to Guimarães that the man who keeps tackling him brutally on club duty is also indirectly keeping him out of the Brazil XI when the Copa América or World Cup qualifiers roll around.

Then there’s the captaincy factor. When Romero was handed the Spurs armband this season following Son’s injury, it was seen as a reward for his leadership and warrior mentality. Guimarães, meanwhile, inherited the Newcastle armband permanently after Kieran Trippier’s departure. Two proud, combative South Americans, both now the official leaders of their clubs, both with a history of physical confrontations. Sunday’s clash was the inevitable collision of two alpha personalities who refuse to take a backward step.

What made this particular incident explode online was the throat grab itself. In an era when the Premier League is cracking down on any form of violent conduct, Guimarães is extraordinarily lucky to have escaped with just a yellow. Replays show five fingers clearly around Romero’s neck, pressure applied, and a forceful push. Had VAR reviewed it properly, most former referees agree a red card was the minimum outcome. The fact that Guimarães wasn’t retrospectively banned has infuriated Tottenham supporters and left many wondering if the PGMOL is scared to punish one of the league’s most marketable stars.

Romero’s post-match comments only fanned the flames. Speaking to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, he said: “Some players think they can do whatever they want because they have nice hair and smile for the cameras. I know exactly who he is. Next time we play, he’ll remember who I am too.” When asked directly about the throat grab, Romero simply smiled and said, “Ask him why he needed to put his hands on my neck. Maybe he was trying to check if I’m human.”

Guimarães, for his part, has stayed largely silent on social media, posting only a cryptic Instagram story of a lion with the caption “still standing.” His manager Eddie Howe defended him, claiming “both players were emotional” and that Romero “gives as good as he gets.” But sources close to the Newcastle dressing room say Guimarães was furious at what he perceived as constant provocation from Romero throughout the match, including repeated elbow nudges and whispered insults in Portuguese that only the two of them understood.

So where does this leave us? With two of the Premier League’s most intense competitors now openly despising each other, and two fixtures still to come this season, including a potentially pivotal meeting at St James’ Park in April. Romero has never been sent off against Newcastle, but he’s collected five yellow cards in just four appearances against them. Guimarães has been booked in every single match against Spurs since Romero joined the league.

One thing is certain: the next time these two lock horns, the touchline cameras won’t be zooming in on the ball. They’ll be trained on the two captains from the moment they walk out. Because if Sunday taught us anything, it’s that when Cristian Romero and Bruno Guimarães share a pitch, football’s most combustible rivalry is no longer between clubs; it’s between two proud South Americans who would rather die than back down.

And the Premier League has never been more entertaining for it.