Guimaraes makes Arsenal debut in draw with Como

Bruno Guimaraes made his Arsenal debut in a 1-1 friendly draw with Como at Emirates stadium, putting in an assured performance after being introduced at half-time. The £75m signing from Newcastle United was officially announced on Saturday and was eagerly anticipated by fans, who chanted his name as he stepped onto the pitch. Guimaraes, known for his combative and all-action style, made a recovery tackle to stop a Como counter-attack and showed early signs of a partnership with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard. The new number 39 also tried a chipped pass behind the Como defence, which Kai Havertz finished, but the offside flag was up to rule the strike out. Guimaraes' performance was a positive sign for Arsenal fans, who will be hoping he can help the team find their attacking flow as the season gets underway.

The match against Como was an experimental one for Arsenal, with five academy graduates in the starting XI, but as the game hit the hour mark, Mikel Arteta brought on what could be considered his strongest available side, with thoughts of the Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday. Guimaraes had been playing alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly, but once he was withdrawn, the new signing dropped to be the deepest-lying player in the Arsenal midfield. The match drifted as the changes and a second-half drinks break affected the flow of the game, but Guimaraes' performance was a highlight, and he will have been pleased to have settled in so seamlessly, which is exactly why Arsenal bought him for the large fee. The fact that Guimaraes was eager to play and make his debut in front of the Arsenal fans immediately is a positive sign, and Arteta noted that the midfielder had only had three training sessions, but looked good and was really pushing to play some minutes.

The draw with Como was not just about Guimaraes' debut, as there was also a lot of attention on Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has been linked with a move away from Arsenal in the past couple of days, with Manchester United and Chelsea two of the sides reported to have been offered the midfielder. Lewis-Skelly made a heart gesture towards all sides of the crowd after he opened the scoring against Como, in a seemingly pointed celebration, but Arteta refused to comment on speculation about the player's future, saying that if there is any speculation about Arsenal's players, it is a good sign, as it means they are doing a good job. The bond between supporters and players who come through the club's academy is a natural one, according to Arteta, who has seen it with many other players at the club. Guimaraes will be looking to build on his positive debut and help Arsenal in their first competitive match of the season against Manchester City on Sunday, and Arteta will have to decide whether the midfielder is ready to start, but for now, Guimaraes can take confidence from his performance and the fact that he boldly scored his spot-kick in the pre-agreed penalty shootout after the match.

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