Alan Shearer hails Rice and Guimaraes partnership in Arsenal's Leeds comeback
Alan Shearer praised the impact of Declan Rice and Bruno Guimaraes during Arsenal's vital comeback victory against Leeds United.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Ank kumar
Arsenal secured a vital comeback victory over Leeds on Saturday, bouncing back from a recent dip in form. After James Justin opened the scoring for the visitors in the 55th minute, Mikel Arteta turned to his bench, with the introduction of Bruno Guimaraes proving to be the catalyst for a turnaround.
Guimaraes, a summer signing from Newcastle United, linked up effectively with Declan Rice to drive the team forward, eventually scoring the winning goal. The shift in momentum was immediate as the duo took control of the midfield battle.
They moved the ball a lot better in the second half. I thought it was all a bit slow and passive and a bit lethargic in the first half with too many sideways passes - not enough penetration. Once Bruno came on and moved it a bit better, he scored a great goal. Declan Rice, I thought, was very good in the second half. Alan Shearer
The win moves Arsenal to second place in the Premier League table with 15 points from six matches, trailing league leaders Manchester City only by goal difference. Shearer dismissed concerns regarding the team's performance, noting that the quick turnaround after the international break likely contributed to a slow start.
Arteta now turns his focus to continental competition. Arsenal are set to face Lille in the Champions League before a league fixture against Nottingham Forest next weekend.