Former Arsenal striker Paul Dickov, in an interview with GOAL, praised Bruno Guimaraes as an excellent player. The Brazilian midfielder, he believes, can relieve pressure on Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, and Dickov predicts Guimaraes will become a regular starter for Arsenal in the future. Guimaraes already demonstrated this value in the Premier League match against Leeds United, coming off the bench to score the winning goal.

In that match, Arsenal initially fell behind. After Calafiori equalized, Arteta made substitutions. Guimaraes scored just seven minutes after coming off the bench. Odegaard and Rice were involved in the build-up to the goal, with Odegaard passing and Rice backheeling the ball into space at the 19-yard line, allowing Guimaraes to finish and secure the win for the defending champions.

Arsenal now boasts significant squad depth, with Guimaraes, Merino, Eze, Timber, and young talent Dauman all making the substitute list. Konsa earned a starting spot, filling the defensive gap left by Saliba's injury, but he still needs to compete to secure consistent playing time in the long term.

Discussing Arsenal's summer transfer activity, Dickov said: "To compete at the top level, you must have this kind of squad depth. To go further and challenge for the Champions League final, signings shouldn't just strengthen the starting eleven, but also improve the overall bench strength and create healthy competition within the team."

"Konsa is a great signing; Saliba's absence was a huge loss for the team. And Bruno, in my opinion, is already among the Premier League's top midfielders."

Dickov continued: "He brings energy and big-game experience, and he can share the heavy burden on Declan. Rice has been outstanding over the past two or three seasons, but the midfield can't always rely on him alone to carry all the tasks. Lewis Skelly has performed well, but he's still young; Odegaard suffered frequent injuries last season but started this season in excellent form."

"Players like Bruno can help take some pressure off Rice and Odegaard. Although he mostly plays as a substitute right now, I believe he will eventually start every week. His ability deserves a core role in this Arsenal team."

This was Guimaraes' home debut for Arsenal, having previously played five away games, including a spectacular long-range goal against Sunderland in September. Regarding the Brazilian midfielder's performance, Arteta believes he still has significant room for improvement.

After defeating Leeds, Arteta said: "This is the standard Arsenal should be at. Every week, every game, every touch of the ball should show this level of performance. He didn't play at the required level against Brighton, but he was much better in this game, and he can get even stronger."

"This is what we demand, and I demand the same standard from myself. I will also demand this from the players. Only by raising our standards will the entire team continue to improve."

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