It took Bruno Guimaraes two games to look like a home-run signing for Arsenal
When Arsenal opted to pay a record fee for a 28-year-old midfielder this summer, many were, perhaps reasonably, somewhat sceptical. £75 million is a huge outlay for a player who might only be capable of giving you two or three more years at the very highest level.
However, after an injury-ridden opening few weeks as an Arsenal player, Bruno Guimaraes is now starting to look like he'll justify this enormous price tag.
The Brazilian finally made his mark this week, producing two statement performances as Mikel Arteta's men continued their fine start to the new campaign. First, he was called upon to change a chaotic game at the Stadium of Light, and did so by scoring a sublime goal which broke the deadlock.
Then, he was tasked with marshalling a makeshift starting eleven at Portman Road, and he succeeded in doing so before coming off on 64 minutes with the tie won.
Five years ago, spending £75 million on an ageing midfielder would've been a poor decision for Arsenal to make. It would've been reflective of a period in which the Gunners routinely made poor choices like this, and these ploys set the North London club back several years.
However, the context at the Emirates has changed. Arsenal are no longer looking to build a team that can compete for major honours in three or four years and are instead looking for cherry-on-the-top signings that can push them from title favourites to overwhelming title favourites.
The Gunners needed a win-now addition to their midfield cohort this summer, and they've found it in Guimaraes. In two performances this week, he has single-handedly proved to be the difference maker in two important wins.
Arteta's outfit dominated possession in the first half against Sunderland, but lacked the penetration from midfield to unlock Regis Le Bris' stubborn defensive unit. They needed a piece of magic from range, and Guimaraes stepped up to the plate.
Receiving the ball from Rice on the edge of the box, he bent it beautifully off the bar, giving the Gunners the lead they wanted. From that point on, the former Newcastle captain asserted himself on the game, constantly breaking lines with his inventive passes whilst providing the defensive bite Arsenal needed to cope with the Black Cats' late onslaught.
In East Anglia on Tuesday night, the 28-year-old was deployed at the base of the Arsenal midfield, with Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly tucking in as inverted full-backs alongside him. The positiong of these auxiliary defenders allowed Guimaraes the freedom to push high up the pitch and exert influence in the final third.
He did this by sitting on the edge of the Ipswich box, where he was able to play creative passes and lead Arsenal's aggressive press. Instrumental in the second goal, Guimaraes' display encapsulated his all-encompassing quality. He can tackle, press and recover into shape, whilst passing, carrying and creating to an extremely high level.
If Arsenal fans were concerned about this hefty investment, this week may have calmed some of these fears.
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