Bruno Guimarães made his first Arsenal appearance in a 1-1 friendly draw with Como, offering an early indication of his midfield versatility after arriving from Newcastle for £75m. Myles Lewis-Skelly scored before Martin Baturina equalised, with Arsenal subsequently winning a separately arranged penalty shootout 4-3.
The Brazilian entered at half-time and converted his penalty, but the more useful evidence came during open play. His positioning changed as Mikel Arteta introduced senior midfielders, providing a glimpse of how Arsenal might accommodate their new signing without immediately settling on one fixed combination.
Lewis-Skelly’s contribution also complicated an obvious transfer-window narrative. With reports linking the teenager to Chelsea and Manchester United, this was not simply an evening in which an expensive arrival displaced an academy graduate. For part of the match, they operated together.
A debut that tested more than one role
According to the match reports, Guimarães initially shared midfield duties with Lewis-Skelly before taking up a deeper position as Arteta reshaped the side. That distinction matters more than the reception he received or the shootout conversion.
Arsenal have bought a player capable of influencing possession from different starting points. His recovery challenge against a Como break demonstrated defensive awareness, while his attempts to lift passes beyond the visitors’ back line suggested a willingness to bypass pressure rather than always circulate the ball in front of it.
One such delivery reached Kai Havertz, whose finish was disallowed for offside. It did not change the result, but it illustrated a potentially useful connection: a midfielder prepared to release the ball early and a forward attacking space behind the defence.
There are limits to what that establishes. A friendly against opponents also preparing for their season cannot show whether those passes will remain available against a compact Premier League defence. Nor does a successful recovery challenge settle how Arsenal should protect the space around Guimarães when possession breaks down.
Arteta indicated afterwards that the midfielder had completed only three training sessions. The immediate question is therefore not whether he looked comfortable, but how quickly that individual comfort can become coordinated movement with unfamiliar team-mates.
Lewis-Skelly’s goal does not settle his future
Lewis-Skelly intercepted an inaccurate pass from Como goalkeeper Jean Butez and finished to put Arsenal ahead. His heart-shaped celebration towards the crowd attracted attention because it followed speculation about a possible departure.
The reporting requires a distinction here. Links with Chelsea and Manchester United have been reported, while Arsenal deny that the player has been offered to those clubs. Neither the goal nor the celebration establishes what will happen next, and Arteta declined to discuss the speculation in detail.
What the match did demonstrate was that Guimarães and Lewis-Skelly need not be treated as mutually exclusive selections. They appeared together before later changes altered the midfield structure. Competition for minutes may intensify, but an incoming midfielder does not automatically make every existing option redundant.
The unanswered issue is how Arteta distributes responsibility once his wider group is available. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi were absent from this match after returning from World Cup duty, so the combinations on display represented only part of the selection picture.
The scoreline needs its context
Baturina’s equaliser ensured that Guimarães inherited a level match rather than a lead to protect. Arsenal subsequently created opportunities without finding a valid second goal, and the shootout should be understood as an additional exercise rather than a revision of the draw.
The accounts differ slightly over the sequence of Arsenal’s changes: one places Martin Ødegaard’s involvement around the hour, while another records him creating a chance in the 53rd minute. The precise chronology is therefore unclear, although both describe extensive rotation.
That rotation makes sweeping conclusions about Arsenal’s attacking fluency difficult. The game brought together academy players, established starters and returning internationals at different stages of preparation. Interruptions and changing partnerships reduced its value as a test of a settled team.
Marli Salmon nevertheless supplied another relevant consideration. The teenage defender remained on the pitch until the closing minutes despite changes around him, suggesting Arteta was assessing continuity in defence as well as experimenting further forward.
Selection questions remain open
Reports identify the Community Shield against Manchester City as Arsenal’s next assignment, but Guimarães’ involvement against Como does not guarantee a starting place.
His debut supplied encouraging evidence of adaptability, not a finished midfield plan. For Arteta, the task is now to decide which combinations best balance progression, defensive cover and movement ahead of the ball. The draw offered possibilities; it did not yet rank them.