In Focus: Wing wizard Marquinhos can be magic for Arteta's Gunners

Marquinhos put in a sensational showing on his Arsenal debut against FC Zurich, ramping up excitement about the prodigious teenager.

The 19-year-old joined the Gunners this summer and was initially expected to leave on loan but impressed enough in training to convince boss Mikel Arteta to keep him around. 

An injury to Reiss Nelson then opened the door for the Brazilian starlet to make his first start for the club, when he was one of Arsenal's standout performers in their 2-1 Europa League triumph in Switzerland.

Ahead of the North Londoners' clash with Brentford, we take a look at what impact Marquinhos could have over the rest of the season.

A role to play

Marquinhos was signed from Brazilian side Sao Paulo for a fee believed to be around £3million. 

He was tipped as a signing for the future but his impressive performances — both in training and for the Under-21s — have accelerated his first-team involvement. 

The left-footed right winger's emergence is a boost for Arteta, who wanted to sign a wide forward in the summer transfer window to ease the burden on Bukayo Saka.

Debut goal

One game, one goal. 

It is difficult to complain about that sort of start from Marquinhos, who may not have even been included in the starting XI at all had Nelson been fit. 

The Sao Paulo native seized his chance with both hands, though, netting the Gunners' opener against Zurich in the 16th minute. 

Marquinhos popped up in the right place to direct the ball into the top corner from close range, converting Eddie Nketiah's excellent left-wing cross. 

His movement demonstrated a willingness to make dangerous runs into central areas and a hunger to get on the end of chances.

Creative instincts

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Marquinhos' performance, however, was his creativity rather than his goal threat.

Having been set up by Nketiah, the teenager returned the favour by crossing for the striker to head home the winner in the second half. 

No player in the Europa League created more big chances than Marquinhos on the opening matchday (two). 

Additionally, his four chances created and three completed crosses saw him rank in the competition's top five players for both metrics, as Arsenal's No27 consistently carved Zurich apart.

Arteta's approval

Arteta has been effusive in his praise of Marquinhos, suggesting that more opportunities will come the winger's way if he continues in this vein. 

He said: "We're very happy with [Marquinhos], he's adapted really well. He's a really likeable figure in the dressing room and around [London] Colney, even if his language is not great yet. 

"I think his physicality has been pretty exceptional for someone coming from Brazil with a different way to train and to play the way he's done it. 

"I think he's got very good qualities for how we want to play. We're going to keep him here for another few months and make sure he establishes himself in the club and the team. After that, we'll see what's the best move for him. 

"For every player there is the option to play [all games], if they train and I'm convinced that they have the level to do that, of course they will have opportunities."

January loan?

Despite Arteta's positive assessment, the Arsenal manager's words hint at the possibility of a loan for Marquinhos. 

The youngster will no doubt benefit from training with the first team and learning English in his first half-season at the Emirates — though occasional cup appearances may be insufficient for his development. 

Particularly after January, with the Europa League group stages over and the Carabao Cup in its latter stages, there will be far fewer opportunities for the teenage talent. 

And Arteta has previously shown a willingness to temporarily part ways with a hot prospect for the sake of their progress, as was the case with William Saliba. 

Perhaps Marquinhos is still one for the future — but that future may come sooner than anyone expected.