Mikel Arteta makes exciting Fabio Vieira promise to Arsenal supporters

Fabio Vieira made his first Arsenal start last Thursday in the Gunners’ 2-1 triumph over FC Zurich and Mikel Arteta believes supporters will very much enjoy the Portuguese playmaker once he’s fully integrated into the first team.

The Gunners swooped out of nowhere to sign Vieira from Porto in the summer after the 22-year-old registered 11 assists in Liga NOS last season despite only making 15 starts.

Upon his arrival, Arsenal sporting director Edu said Vieira was a player that “has something very special”, but his start to life in north London was disrupted by a foot injury. He didn’t play a part in pre-season as a result and the new signing had to wait until the Gunners’ sixth Premier League game to make his debut.

Vieira showed glimpses of his talent in a 15-minute cameo at Old Trafford before Arteta handed him his first start a few days later in the club’s Europa League opener.

Mikel Arteta sends exciting Fabio Vieira promise to Arsenal supporters

Vieira impressed without starring against FC Zurich, but it’s clear that the 22-year-old will have a big role to play for the Gunners moving forward. He’s a slight and nimble playmaker, one that excels in tight spaces and can be devastating in transition – as we saw in the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal last Thursday.

Whether he can co-exist with skipper Martin Odegaard is up for debate, but manager Arteta explicitly said that we’ll be seeing much more of the summer arrival in the coming weeks.

“It’s a shame that we detected an injury when we were doing the medical. He had no pre-season and everything has been delayed, but hopefully, you’re going to see a lot more of him in the next few weeks, and I’m sure that you’ll enjoy it,” Arteta said last week.

The Premier League’s decision to postpone the weekend’s fixtures in the wake of the Queen’s passing meant we didn’t get to see Vieira perhaps make his first league start against Everton on Sunday. Next weekend’s trip to Brentford is also in doubt over policing concerns ahead of Monday’s state funeral.

Nevertheless, the Emirates faithful should catch their first glimpse of the Portuguese creator on Thursday as the Gunners host PSV on Matchday 2 of the Europa League group stage.