Before the Community Shield, Arsenal were not overwhelming favourites to defend their Premier League crown.
They have strengthened in midfield with the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes but their forward line, certainly on paper, is no better than it was last term after missing out on the likes of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior.
That said, against Manchester City, they ripped up all of the pre-season discussion and put it to bed. They are certainly favourites and they could be by quite some margain.
The Gunners defeated Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City 3-0 at the Millenium Stadium, putting on a clinic in the Welsh capital.
The headline makers were Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis and Martin Odegaard but Guimaraes also stood out on his competitive debut.
How Bruno Guimaraes performed on his first start for Arsenal
Heading into this match with the Citizens, a lot of the pre-game narrative surrounded Guimaraes vs Elliot Anderson in the middle of the park.
Anderson famously swapped Nottingham Forest for the Etihad this summer to the tune of £116m. In comparison, Bruno’s move from Newcastle was a bargain at a mere £75m.
Well, on the evidence of this match, it looks as though Arsenal have got the better deal.
The former Toon star only played the opening 45 minutes of the match before being substituted for Declan Rice but he made a brilliant impact.
One of the biggest issues Arsenal encountered when they lost to Man City in the final few weeks of last season was City’s press. They struggled to get out of their own half but they had no such problems on Sunday and that was largely thanks to Guimaraes.
While he only completed 79% of his overall passes, there was plenty of punch to his play and he linked up beautifully with Odegaard on several occasions down the right flank.
The Brazilian completed both of his long balls and succeeded with nine of his ten passes inside his own half. He only had one unsuccessful touch and won both of his duels.
|
Bruno G vs Man City |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
45 |
|
Touches |
32 |
|
Accurate passes |
19/24 (79%) |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Unsuccessful touches |
1 |
|
Carries |
9 |
|
Tackles |
2 |
|
Ball recoveries |
1 |
|
Duels won |
2/2 |
This was a masterful display from the summer arrival and on his competitive debut no less.
It shows precisely why Mikel Arteta likes to sign Premier League-proven players and it is something he could look towards again before the window closes.
How Arsenal could repeat their Guimaraes masterclass
There are arguably two areas still to address for Arsenal this month. They must invest more in their forward line. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye is one option if they want to buy from within the division.
Yet, they also need to bolster the defence after William Saliba was ruled out with a lengthy back injury.
The Gunners have a few options including Atletico Madrid’s Marc Pubill and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah. However, the number one target would appear to be Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.
That’s according to the BBC’s Sami Mokbel, who appearing on the Arsenal Latte Firm podcast, revealed the latest on the centre-back situation. Mokbel said: “I am led to believe that out of the two, Ezri Konsa is the preferred option for Mikel Arteta who wants plug and play. Because Saliba is expected to be out for a significant period of time, the team hasn’t got time for someone to come in and adapt. They need someone to come in and play in that position alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.”
Well, therein lies why Arsenal need and want him. Sure, with Konsa expected to cost somewhere between £60m-£65m, there are understandable concerns.
At the World Cup, the Aston Villa man was not hugely convincing but for a long while now, the Englishman has been one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League.
Like Guimaraes, he’s a proven asset. He is someone who could arrive and fit in immediately into the heart of the defence without many hitches. He doesn’t know Gabriel but he is good friends with Bukayo Saka and knows the likes of Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly too.
He’s also a proven leader. Last season he was confirmed as Villa’s vice captain to John McGinn. Similarly to Bruno, he’s already skippered a Premier League side. Now 28, he’s also the same age as Arsenal’s marquee summer signing.
The England international is also remarkably secure in possession, completing as many as 95% of his passes in the top-flight last campaign.
Konsa is a defensive stalwart too. He was dribbled past just 0.12 times per 90 minutes last term, a metric that placed him among the top 10% of centre-backs in the division.
A pillar of consistency for Villa over a number of years, as Guimaraes was at Newcastle, it certainly makes sense that Arteta is pushing for a player like Konsa. Fans may just have to trust the manager on this one.
