David Raya explains exactly why Arsenal made £75m transfer call after Premier League title boost

Bruno Guimaraes has been lauded by his teammate David Raya for his performance on Sunday

David Raya explained that Arsenal summer signing Bruno Guimaraes is willing to put his life on the line for his new club.

The Brazilian’s brilliant strike from range gave the Gunners the lead following Raya’s penalty save from Enzo Le Fee that would secure Arsenal a ninth successive Premier League victory.

Guimaraes has endured a difficult start to life at the North London club with two injuries preventing him from making a start since the FA Community Shield victory, but Raya was full of praise for how he has responded in such difficult circumstances.

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“It is incredible,” he said. “Obviously, Bruno has been very unlucky with his start. He had two little injuries that kept him out of the team.

“And let’s not forget [Jurrien Timber], who has not played a game in such a long time. He had to come on at half-time with the demands that Sunderland make.

“They make the game very, very physical and difficult. So all the players coming off the bench were really important. That is the model that we have.

“It is not only the starters, but the people coming from the bench who are really important. We had Bruno scoring, and then he and Merino made the pass for Bukayo to win the pen. The whole squad is going to be very important throughout the season.”

The emotion on show when the ball hit the back of the net from Guimaraes had been burning since he walked through the doors at the Stadium of Light.

The home fans lining the walkway from the coach to the ground had already been making clear their thoughts about the former Newcastle United captain, and he entered the field to rapturous boos from the stands.

His celebration was wild and encapsulated the desire with which he plays the game, and Raya believes he’d do almost anything to help his new teammates win.

“He brings a lot of things,” Raya said. “He brings maturity, competitiveness and leadership. He is a warrior, but he is so technically gifted.

“He reads the game very, very well, and he will put his life [on the line] to defend and attack. He is a fantastic player to have with us - and hopefully he stays free of injury so we can enjoy him a lot.”

With such a deep squad, earning starts under Mikel Arteta is not easy, and for every position, the Spaniard can call on an international talent to come in for another star.

Arteta prefers not to discuss the players like Guimaraes coming off the bench as substitutes but instead describes them as ‘finishers’. No doubt a way of elevating the role psychologically for the players.

“You have to follow and trust what the boss wants you to do,” Raya said when asked about the players understanding of their roles in the game. “Sometimes you are going to start, and sometimes you are going to be on the bench.

“Having that mentality to be important no matter when and how many minutes you play is very important - especially when these seasons are so, so long.

"You are going to have your opportunity and you have to take it like everybody does. Last season we scored a lot of goals with the people from the bench, who changed games. So, hopefully this season it is the same.”