Arteta hails Bruno Guimaraes’ Emirates reception after Como shootout victory

Mikel Arteta has hailed the instant connection between Bruno Guimaraes and Arsenal supporters after the midfielder made his first appearance at the Emirates Stadium in a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Como 1907.

The £75 million signing from Newcastle United was introduced after half-time and immediately received a huge reception from the home crowd.

For Arteta, it was more than just a pre-season cameo. The Arsenal boss believes the response from the Emirates faithful showed just how quickly Guimaraes could become a favourite in north London.

“You can tell straight away the connection with the supporters. I think he played some very good quality minutes. It’s good to get the debut out of the way, especially at the Emirates and I think it was a great reception.”

The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Arsenal eventually prevailing 4-3 in the shootout.

Myles Lewis-Skelly gave the Gunners the advantage before Martin Baturina restored parity shortly before the break.

David Raya then became the shootout hero, producing two crucial saves before Christos Tzolis delivered the decisive penalty.

Arteta was pleased with what he saw, particularly considering the timing of the fixture just four days before Arsenal’s opening competitive game of the campaign.

“A lot of things that I really liked tonight. We played some young kids as well, and they did extremely well. I think with the amount of chances that we created, the scoreline probably should have had a different result.

“But overall it was good prep because it was a really tricky one, four days before the final. We played a lot of boys for 30 or 45 minutes. But overall I think it was a really positive test.”

The fixture also provided valuable minutes for several players who had only just returned from international duty.

Ebere Eze, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino and Raya were among those returning to action after beginning training with the squad earlier in the week.

Arteta admitted the players were eager to get some minutes before Sunday’s major test against Manchester City.

“They’ve been training on their own. Yesterday was our first day back with all the players from internationals. They were really pushing to play some minutes today.

“I think they wanted to have a certain feeling before the final, so we allowed them to do so and everything looked good.”

The match also offered another opportunity for Arsenal’s academy players to make an impression.

Theo Julienne and Marli Salmon featured against Como, with Arteta particularly pleased by the youngsters’ confidence against experienced opposition.

“They played really well. They played with a lot of personality, really connected with the team and against a really good opponent. I think they performed really well.

“[Pre-season] tested different things, trying different relationships, being very adaptable. Obviously we played the first few games of the pre-season with seven or eight senior players. Then slowly a few more came in, so they’re all in different phases.

“Overall, it’s good to understand where we are and what we need to do to get to the highest level.”

With pre-season now complete, Arsenal’s attention switches firmly towards the Community Shield.

The Gunners will face Manchester City on Sunday, with Arteta targeting an early piece of silverware as Arsenal begin their bid to build on last season’s Premier League success.

For Guimaraes, the Como fixture provided his first taste of playing at the Emirates. For Arteta, it offered one final opportunity to assess his squad before the competitive action begins.

The Arsenal boss is already looking beyond the friendly atmosphere and towards the first trophy of the new campaign.

“We’re looking forward to it. It’s a trophy that reflects what we’ve done in the previous season, winning the Premier League. So we’re going to try and win.”