Who needs a mystery winger? Arsenal have the impressive Marquinhos

Young Brazilian winger Marquinhos was handed his first start for Arsenal on Thursday night and he impressed with a goal and assist as the Gunners got their Europa League campaign off to a winning start.

Mikel Arteta gave the 19-year-old a starting berth as Arsenal visited FC Zurich to open their Europa League campaign, and the winger did not disappoint.

From the outset, the Brazilian was willing to run at defenders and keep himself busy around the box.

Who needs a mystery winger? Arsenal have the impressive Marquinhos

If Marquinhos had any nerves ahead of his professional debut for the Gunners, it didn’t show. It took him only 15 minutes to open his account for the club.

He latched onto a beautiful cross from Eddie Nketiah to give his team the lead. He then returned the favour in the second half as his delightful cross found Nketiah at the back post, with the striker heading home what turned out to be the winning goal.

The composure for his goal should not be underestimated, as we have seen far more experienced players fluff their lines in that exact position. But the 19-year-old was cool and calm as he rifled it into the top corner with his ‘weaker’ right foot.

We could see what his goal meant to him as the teenager broke down in tears as he celebrated with his teammates. It’s a moment he’ll cherish forever, and a sequence of events that saw him immediately endear himself to Arsenal supporters.

Throughout the game, the Brazilian was a constant outlet for the Gunners as he occupied the right touchline to ensure his side stretched the FC Zurich backline. When he did move infield to receive the ball, he was quick to lay it off or look for a decisive pass.

During the last couple of weeks of the transfer window, Arsenal were after a ‘mystery winger’ but Marquinhos might prove to be their guy all along. Having the 19-year-old waiting in the wings could be a valuable weapon for Mikel Arteta as the season progresses.

Marquinhos already showed his quality for Arsenal’s Under-21s, scoring three goals and providing an assist in his three games.

While it is only one performance, what it does do is allow Arteta to rest Bukayo Saka as the Englishman came on for the last 20 minutes, replacing the 19-year-old.

While many were looking at Fabio Vieira, who himself played well, the Brazilian winger more than held his own against FC Zurich. In fact, he flourished.