In the 5th round of the Premier League, Arsenal experienced a difficult time when they were defeated by Brighton with a score of 3-0. Mikel Arteta's team was overwhelmed by the opponent for most of the match, especially in the midfield area, where Bruno Guimaraes had many problems.
The Brazilian midfielder just had his first Premier League start for Arsenal in the previous round, after recovering from some minor injuries. Guimaraes scored a beautiful goal from outside the penalty area in the victory against Sunderland and continued to be trusted by Arteta when combining with Declan Rice.
However, this duo could not reproduce the performance as last week. Brighton put continuous pressure and made it difficult for Arsenal to deploy the ball. Guimaraes was substituted in the 60th minute, giving way to Mikel Merino, after Arsenal was already behind.
Paul Merson believes that the £75 million midfielder had a forgettable match. The former Arsenal player even suggested that Guimaraes should have been substituted off the field right in the break.
Completely wrong. Completely wrong. I said in the half-time break that he would be substituted, but he stayed for about 10 more minutes. Everything happened too quickly, they neutralized him”.
According to Merson, the problem is not only in Guimaraes' individual ability but also from the way Brighton organized the match. The home team continuously put pressure, causing Arsenal players not to have enough time and space to handle the ball.
I don't care how good you are. If people make you try your best, restrain you and force you to work hard, that's balanced and that's what Brighton has done. They have performed excellently," Merson said.
Meanwhile, Arteta admitted that the combination between Guimaraes and Rice still needs more time. These two midfielders have only played together for a short time, after Guimaraes just returned to the squad.
It will definitely develop. Currently, it is still in the early stages, they have only played together for a few minutes and that relationship will definitely improve and bring us a lot of joy," Arteta said.
The defeat to Brighton is therefore a noteworthy test for Guimaraes in the process of integrating with Arsenal, especially when he is expected to become an important factor in midfield this season.
