Doubts have been raised over Bruno Guimaraes' impact at Arsenal following his £75million summer move from Newcastle, while Martin Odegaard has opened up on the injury struggles that affected his form last season.
Guimaraes' difficult start
The 28-year-old Brazil international has yet to hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium after arriving last month to add depth to Mikel Arteta's midfield. A hamstring injury in the opening weeks of the season has limited his playing time.
Guimaraes faces considerable competition for a starting spot, with Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly also vying for places in a formidable engine room.
Nicky Butt's verdict
Former Manchester United and Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt has questioned whether Guimaraes will have a similar impact in north London to the one he had at St James' Park, where he was a key figure in the Magpies' transformation under Eddie Howe, helping them win trophies and qualify for the Champions League multiple times.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt said: "I think he's (Guimaraes) a very, very good player, so I would say hit – but the reason why I'm not is because I think the team's focal points have to be around him. I don't think Arsenal will do that."
"I think there's other players in that team to do that. He'll be a miss."
Odegaard on his tough season
Martin Odegaard has enjoyed a strong start to the 26/27 campaign, already doubling his goal tally from last season with the winning goal against Chelsea. The Gunners captain has now spoken about the difficulties he faced during Arsenal's Premier League title-winning season.
Odegaard told VG: "Last season, I had many tough moments with injuries. It was tough for me. I'm so happy to be on the pitch and to feel good and fit. There were several setbacks, and I played without feeling one hundred percent, but now I feel really good."
He added: "I went into the World Cup feeling good, had a really good tournament, and carried that momentum into this season."
Discussing the mentality shift after becoming champions, Odegaard said: "We feel different, and we feel stronger. You have to learn from what you experience. Winning the Premier League gives you a different kind of confidence."
