Bruno Guimarães left Arsenal's win over Hull City with praise from Mikel Arteta, but also a reminder that there is still another level to find. Arteta said the midfielder had a massive impact and is "hitting serious levels now", after a 1-0 victory in Arsenal vs Hull City.

Arteta's message to Bruno Guimarães

"He's much better, he had a massive impact, he's hitting serious levels now, But we can still take him to another level," Arteta said. He added that he had told Guimarães in the dressing room that he "owned a lot of moments in the game" and that "there is still much more to come".

The numbers fit the tone. Guimarães was making just his fourth league start of the season, but he has already started five of Arsenal's six matches in all competitions since scoring the winner against Leeds last month. He has eight league appearances this season and 398 league minutes, while his Premier League rating sits at 7.09.

That is not the profile of a player settling in slowly. Arriving from Newcastle for £75million in the summer, he has moved into the side quickly enough that Arteta can already demand more from him rather than simply ask for more time.

Arsenal's win and the penalty debate

The game itself also produced a separate argument. Kai Havertz was pulled to the ground inside the box in the first half, referee Farai Hallam went to the monitor and reviewed the replay before overturning the original penalty call, and Martin Ødegaard broke Hull City's resistance in the 72nd minute.

Arteta said he was surprised by the decision and wanted clarification on the interpretation. Keith Hackett said, "The Offside Law is clear and a penalty kick should have been awarded." Darren Cann also said, "This should really have been given as a penalty kick."

Arsenal's response was the only part that actually decided the match. The 1-0 win was their fifth consecutive league win and moved them six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Guimarães was central to the performance, but Ødegaard's strike kept the points moving in the right direction.

The more interesting detail from Arteta is not the praise, it is the standard he is setting. Guimarães has played his way into a strong position in the side, and Arteta is already speaking as if there is still more to extract from him before the season settles into its rhythm.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →