Guimaraes makes Arsenal debut in draw with Como

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Bruno Guimaraes made his Arsenal debut in a 1-1 pre-season friendly against Como at Emirates Stadium, with the £75m signing from Newcastle United introduced after the break. The Brazilian midfielder had only recently been unveiled by the club and was met with chants from the home crowd as he stepped onto the pitch for the first time in Arsenal colours.

Arsenal had gone ahead in the first half through academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, but Como levelled with a well-struck effort from Martin Baturina before Guimaraes entered the match. BBC Sport said the new arrival looked comfortable, made an early recovery tackle and showed signs of linking well with captain Martin Odegaard. Mikel Arteta later used the game to give minutes to a range of players, including several young prospects and senior names as Arsenal moved closer to the start of their competitive season.

After the match, there was also a planned penalty shootout, in which Guimaraes converted his spot-kick. According to BBC Sport, Arteta said the midfielder had trained only a few times but looked ready and immediately connected with supporters. The report suggests Arsenal view the signing as one intended to strengthen midfield quality ahead of the new campaign, while also noting the atmosphere around Lewis-Skelly, who has recently been the subject of transfer speculation that the club denies.