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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta tempered the widespread acclaim directed at Bruno Guimarães by noting that the midfielder hasn't always performed to the necessary standard, while delivering an even sharper message aimed at Viktor Gyökeres.
Arteta is nothing short of exacting. Whether it's the ball boys or Bukayo Saka, the fans or his sporting director, the Basque tactician sets a lofty benchmark he expects everyone loosely connected to Arsenal to meet.
Guimarães cleared that bar on Saturday, entering from the bench to tip a hard-fought contest against Leeds United in Arsenal's favor. The Brazilian earned well-deserved plaudits from the press, and Arteta was asked for his assessment of the 28-year-old during his post-match press conference. Any lavish praise was notably absent.
"Every week, every game, every minute, every action, you have to be at that level," Arteta fired back. The 3–0 thrashing at Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break remained fresh in Arteta's mind, the image of his side being thoroughly outmuscled on the south coast still lingering. Like every player in red that afternoon, Guimarães had struggled. One match-saving cameo was clearly insufficient for Arteta.
"At Brighton, he wasn't [at the required level]," the manager noted. "Today, he was much better, and he can still be much better in the games that he's done, and that's what we have to demand. This is what I demand to myself. I'm going to demand the same with the players. Because if we do that, you will raise the standards and we will be a better team."
Guimarães could at least point to meeting those standards at various points in his Arsenal career. Gyökeres has found it harder to make the same case.
'Prove It'—Arteta's Challenge to Gyokeres
Much like Guimarães, Gyökeres watched Arsenal toil through the opening hour of Saturday's lunchtime fixture from the dugout. The Swedish forward was introduced at the same time as his Brazilian teammate in place of Kai Havertz, yet failed to produce a comparable impact. Even after rounding Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford, Gyökeres somehow managed to tread on the ball instead of slotting into an empty net.
That Arteta turned to the struggling striker so early is itself a sign of progress. Gyökeres has been restricted to fleeting substitute appearances in the Premier League so far, which prompted a candid expression of frustration during the international break. His manager has indicated that more opportunities are on the way—potentially beginning with Tuesday's Champions League home clash against Lille—but Gyökeres must make the most of them.
"He will play games and he will have minutes," Arteta told reporters, swiftly adding, "and the best way is when they enter the pitch, show how good they are. That's it."
It was suggested to Arteta that Gyökeres's goalscoring form for Sweden should perhaps have earned him greater prominence at club level. The Arsenal manager was unconvinced.
"They have done it with their national teams," Arteta said dismissively. "Mikel [Merino] has scored two goals with the national team and the sensation is he deserves to play as well. But Martin [Ødegaard] has been exceptional, and that's the situation. The best way is when they have the chance, prove it, and then everybody's going to be happy."