04 September 2023 , 11:20
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Gunners midfielder Fabio Vieira for the way he impacted the game against Manchester United after being introduced off the bench.
Arteta's side ran out 3-1 winners at the Emirates against their big-six rivals, but had to do it the hard way after falling behind to a Marcus Rashford strike mid-way through the first-half. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard drew the hosts level just two minutes later, but it wasn't until the 96th minute before Declan Rice dealt the hammer blow.
Gabriel Jesus put the result beyond any doubt just minutes later as the Brazilian bagged his first goal for the Gunners this season in impressive fashion. The 26-year-old sold Diogo Dalot with a body feint, giving him enough time and space to calmly slot beyond Andre Onana.
As a result, Rice and Jesus earned plenty of plaudits in the aftermath of the victory and while deserved, the introduction of Vieira was arguably the first sign the win was heading in Arsenal's direction. The Portuguese midfielder has struggled since his arrival from Porto last summer, but is starting to show he can hold his own in the English top flight.
He was only introduced in the 77th minute in place of the struggling Kai Havertz, but Vieira's game had a far greater sense of urgency than the Germany international's. The former Porto man helped keep Arsenal the pressure on their visitors and even registered an assist after his first time pass sent Jesus on his way for the Gunners' third.
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After the game, Arteta discussed Vieira's influence on the game and admitted he was always confident the 23-year-old would stamp his influence on the fixture. When asked if there was a chance that Vieira could be a regular starter after the international break, the Arsenal boss refused to rule it out as an idea.
"Every player has a chance to do that," he admitted. "Today we decided to start with Kai, we knew that Fabio would have a big impact especially in the last few minutes, or final minutes if we needed something.
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Fabio Vieira celebrates with Gabriel Jesus after assisting the Brazilian's goal"Something has changed with Fabio, you notice with the crowd when he steps in he is different to how he was last year. He’s more mature, he’s more senior in the squad and his confidence in the squad is high so I’m really happy to have those options."
Vieira now has two assists in less than 90 minutes of football this season, having also set up Eddie Nketiah's goal against Fulham last weekend. In turn, that means he has already equalled his amount of league assists from last season.
As for Arsenal, they now sit fifth in the Premier League, one of four teams to have taken 10 points from their opening four games this season.