Keown lauds ‘electric’ Arsenal ace who’s raised Gunners to ‘another level’

Martin Keown has heaped praise on Bruno Guimaraes after he inspired Arsenal to a 2-1 comeback win against Leeds United at home.

Arsenal were looking to make amends after being beaten 3-0 at Brighton in their last match before the international break. But Leeds were the better side in the first half, and the visitors then took a deserved lead in the 55th minute through James Justin.

Riccardo Calafiori equalised for Arsenal in the 62nd minute, finishing from close range after Ben White headed a Noni Madueke cross into the six-yard box.

Mikel Arteta then changed the game with his substitutions, taking off White, Kai Havertz and Myles Lewis-Skelly to bring on Jurrien Timber, Viktor Gyokeres in Guimaraes.

The latter won possession back for Arsenal in the 70th minute before Odegaard began to pull the strings, playing in Declan Rice. Rice set up Guimaraes with a brilliant flick, and the summer signing smashed the ball into the bottom corner to hand Arsenal all three points.

Reacting to the game for TNT Sports, former Gunners defender Keown said: “Well, if you’re gonna be champions again, to repeat it, you have to win these games. And Arsenal found a way to win.

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“But, credit Leeds, I thought Leeds were outstanding, compact. In the duels they were tenacious.

“And then suddenly Bruno Guimaraes comes off the bench, and he plays with that electricity, a personality.

“Ok, Calafiori gets the equaliser, but it goes to another level [after the subs]. Suddenly you see all the intricate football from Odegaard, and Arsenal are flying again and look like champions.

“But until that point, until the 60th minute, it wasn’t quite in the locker.

“Credit to the manager, with the wonderful players on the bench he has at his disposal, he got it right, the timing was right.

Bruno Guimaraes ‘another level’ – Martin Keown

“This man here [Guimaraes], he’s really endeared himself to the faithful here. He’s another level.

“He’s the sort of player you buy when you’re champions. Personality, he’s oozing class, that sort of devilment – I’m gonna win this game.

“The goal he gets, he starts, finishes it. He’s made a big announcement now that he’s an Arsenal player.”

Fellow pundit Joe Cole called Arsenal’s winner a ‘thing of beauty’. He added: “From a Leeds perspective, when you get beaten by something, and there’s nothing you can do about it, it’s just gut-wrenching.

“But that’s what champions do. And that’s the quality that this Arsenal team has got. They’re actually a joy to watch.”

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