Martin Zubimendi made his Premier League debut for Arsenal against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
With all eyes on Viktor Gyokeres – and also Benjamin Sesko when the £74m man came on – the Spaniard almost slipped under the radar following his £55.8m move from Real Sociedad.
This potentially helped Martin Zubimendi deliver the composed display which fired Arsenal to a 1-0 win, and Mikel Arteta was impressed with his fellow countryman after a successful Premier League debut.
When asked by BBC Sport what he thought of his two debutants, BBC Sport quote the 43-year-old as saying: “Very happy with them, the ones that came in (off the bench) as well, they had a massive impact in the game. Some are still not at the highest level that they need to get to but we will get there.”
Zubimendi – who Real Madrid also wanted – endured a tough experience at Old Trafford with Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League last season, losing 4-1 in the Round of 16.
Therefore, it must have felt good for the Spaniard to exact a bit of revenge.
It was a composed display from the 26-year-old, whose ability to control a game of football was key for Arsenal to secure three points at Old Trafford.
Zubimendi completed 89% of his attempted 44 passes and took 56 touches of the ball, on a day where he kept possession impressively for the Gunners, although his defensive abilities also stood out.
The new Arsenal No.36 recorded three successful tackles and made two clearances, also registering one block and one interception.
At the age of just 26, Zubimendi should prove to be an astute signing for Arsenal.
Crucially, his best traits are not physical attributes either, meaning he should continue to orchestrate the midfield for Arteta even if his pace begins to decline throughout his five-year contract.
