Here's What Bruno Guimarães Will Bring to Arsenal | w/ Ollie Hopkins
Arsenal look set to sign Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimarães — but what will the Brazilian actually bring to Mikel Arteta's midfield? In this video, we break down Bruno Guimarães' playing style, strengths and tactical role, looking at how the 28-year-old could be the perfect addition to Arsenal’s squad. From his progressive passing, ball-winning ability and leadership, Bruno Guimarães is one of the Premier League's best midfielders - but is he good enough to start for Arsenal? Check out the Opta Analyst website: https://theanalyst.com/ 📬 Sign up for the Opta Analyst Newsletter here for free: https://theanalyst.com/sign-up Follow Opta Analyst: Twitter: https://x.com/OptaAnalyst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoptaanalyst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optaanalyst/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@optaanalyst QUESTION - Have a question about a player or data? Drop it in the comments! brunoguimaraes arsenal arsenalfc
Transcript
Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal is a huge statement of intent. We all know what he can do, but where does he fit into this Arsenal side? We're joined by Opta analyst Ollie Watkins to discuss the transfer further. Ollie, thank you for joining us again. How are you? >> I am very good. How are you, Jordan? >> I'll be honest, I'm jealous. I think Guimaraes is one of the best midfielders in the league, and it would be a huge signing for Arsenal. But, how key has he been to Newcastle since joining? >> Yeah, I mean, this this one, I think would be an absolute bombshell, to be honest, if if Arsenal did or anyone really did manage to to prize Guimaraes away from Newcastle. He is Mr. Newcastle. He is their their their captain, their leader, their best player. He is always available. You know, since he joined in Newcastle back in February 2022, he's missed just 16 games in the Premier League in four and a half seasons. That is like a remarkable show of, I guess, not only how much Eddie Howe wants to play him all the time, but the fact that he can play. In those 16 games he's not featuring in, they've won just two of those matches. Um, that's a 12 and a half percent win win rate, um, compared to, like, 52.3% when it when he does play. So, that kind of shows you like his his his impact and his effect when he's out of that out of that team, and how much they basically rely on his presence and him being, um, always available and always around. >> One thing I find interesting, how has his role and style of play developed over the last four or five years? >> Yeah, I think we have this perception of, um, Guimaraes as this deeper-lying maybe like a more of a a destroyer-type player, where he's, you know, tackling a lot, winning a lot of jewels, getting stuck in a lot, um, and perhaps lacking a bit of, um, technical qualities of a a a a a more advanced player. But, I think if we look at his his touch map, um, from last season compared to the season beforehand, he's playing a lot further forwards, and he's pushing up into that sort of like right-hand side half space, um, as a right-sided number eight. Yeah, I mean his output kind of speaks for itself. He he scored nine goals last season for Newcastle which was his highest in a season and but also Newcastle's top scorer last season as well in the Premier League and also got five assists which again was a team high and so you kind of get the sense that he's almost doing everything. He is he's you know winning jewels, he's leading the team, scoring the goals, creating the goals. Like this this this this player is so so important for for Newcastle. >> We know how good he is on the ball and his stats prove that. But Arteta wants someone to lead off the ball as well. Does Guimaraes fit into that category? >> Absolutely. I mean absolutely. We we have seen Arteta and Edu definitely favor a certain profile when it comes to their transfers. They have clearly prioritized physicality when when buying players. Arteta demands a lot of his players physically, you know, in in in jewels, a lot of hard running and so getting someone like Guimaraes who let's be honest can do that side of the game really really well is is kind of like a match made in heaven really. When you kind of compare his numbers off the ball with with Arsenal's other midfielders, he actually ranks very favorably in in that regard. So last season won 6.1 jewels per per 90 which is the most of of him plus any Arsenal midfielders. I think next on that list was Mendy at 4.6 and he ranks again tops all Arsenal midfielders with the tackles won and ranks highly for recoveries too. So he is great off the ball and will add real sort of steel and physicality to the midfield. >> Look, there's no doubt in his quality, but I think the key question is where does he fit into the Arsenal side? Surely a player like that can't be sitting on the bench. >> I think you don't sign someone like Bruno Guimaraes and have them not be a starter. I think he is that level of player and And would expect to start every game. Um if you were to the the join the club. So, you know, he's another player who is 29. He's in literally in in his peak, in his prime. I I think he comes in and and starts more often than than not. >> Yeah, it's funny like you look at Arsenal's squad and midfield on on paper and it looks like they are pretty well stocked. They're pretty well They got good depth there. But suddenly then you kind of think about, okay, well, Christian Nørgaard clearly clearly wasn't really a success last season. Didn't really play at all. There's a bit of like like a trust there, I think. He might move on. Ødegaard is I suppose he's less reliable cuz physically um with injuries recently. And so suddenly take those two people out of the equation and actually you need Maybe you do need a bit of more bodies in in midfield. I think Arsenal again will probably play if all goes well, they'll play 65 games this season going deep in all four competitions. And you just need you need legs and you need, you know, genuine, you know, Premier League quality legs in in midfield. Um it's you know, we have seen someone like Declan Rice is [ __ ] is struggling a bit with with a long season. Um and having someone who can play alongside Rice or indeed, you know, relieve Rice if he is just play every game and he's knackered. That is That is so so poor.