Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta struck a balanced tone after Bruno Guimaraes marked his first home appearance for the club with a goal, insisting the Brazilian midfielder must now produce that quality on a consistent basis.
Guimaraes found the net during Arsenal's victory over Brighton at the Emirates Stadium, a moment that will live long in the memory given it came in front of his new home supporters. Yet Arteta was quick to point out that the overall level of the performance did not match the standard he expects from his players week in, week out.
"But he wasn't at that level against Brighton," Arteta said, referring to an earlier fixture. "This is the level for Arsenal. Every week, every game, every minute, every action, you have to be at that level."
The Arsenal boss acknowledged that Guimaraes' display had improved significantly compared to a previous outing, but stressed there was still considerable room for growth. "At Brighton he wasn't, today was much better. He can still be much better than the games he has done," Arteta explained.
Setting the bar high is clearly part of Arteta's management philosophy, and he made clear that this expectation applies as much to himself as it does to his squad. "That's what we have to demand. This is what I demand of myself. I'm going to demand the same of the players, because if we do that it will raise the standards and we will be a better team," he said.
Guimaraes' adaptation to life in north London has not been entirely smooth. The midfielder arrived at Arsenal only a couple of weeks before the start of the season, having taken an extended break following the World Cup. That truncated preparation period has been compounded by a handful of minor injury setbacks, limiting his involvement in matches so far.
His participation with the Brazilian national team during the recent international break added to the challenge of building match sharpness. Guimaraes featured in just one of Brazil's three fixtures as Carlo Ancelotti's side undertook trips to Australia and India, meaning he missed out on a settled run of games that could have helped his fitness.
Addressing why Guimaraes has not yet been a regular starter in the Premier League, Arteta pointed to the unusual circumstances surrounding his summer. "The reality is that he went to Australia, then to India," the Spaniard said. "He's still not in the best condition because he hasn't had a pre-season. So we thought ok, [start] the players that are more settled here."
Despite the cautious approach to his introduction, Arteta signaled that Guimaraes will be relied upon as the congested fixture schedule continues. "If we have to bring him in and change the game, do it," he said. "We play again on Tuesday night, then on Sunday. We know it's going to be a lot of demands for everybody so we better manage that well."
With Arsenal facing a demanding run of fixtures in quick succession, Arteta appears ready to manage Guimaraes' workload carefully while gradually integrating him into the starting lineup. The manager's comments suggest confidence in the Brazilian's long-term potential, even as he pushes for immediate improvement in consistency and overall match impact.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.