Baby-faced Fabio Vieira proves Arsenal's silent assassin to announce his arrival

There was a 15-year-old in Arsenal’s squad for this trip to Brentford and, if you did not already know what Fabio Vieira looked like, you might have assumed that he was the teenager in question. Vieira is in fact 22, and on close inspection you will note that he has the facial hair to prove it, but everything else about his appearance suggests youth.

Such is Vieira’s lack of physical presence, it would almost feel an exaggeration to describe him as a featherweight in this division. He is not tall, and he is certainly not muscular. The Portuguese playmaker must be one of the lightest players in the league and, against a Brentford team known for its physical intensity, there would have been more than a few Arsenal fans wondering how he might cope on his first league start for his new club.

Vieira delivered an emphatic answer to those questions in the first half, when he popped the ball around the midfield with speed and accuracy, and then underlined the point a few minutes into the second. Receiving the ball around 25 yards from goal, Vieira unleashed a powerful effort that swerved and dipped on its way into the Brentford net, via the inside of the post for extra aesthetic appeal.

“He has been practising that shot every single day,” said Gabriel Martinelli, who has quickly become close friends with Vieira. “It is not luck. He is a very good guy. Everyone loves him.”

It was some way for Vieira to score his first goal for the club and, coupled with his assured all-round performance, it explained why Arsenal were willing to spend £30 million on him this summer. Martin Odegaard, out with a minor injury against Brentford, remains the first choice in that position but Vieira is evidently capable of making a significant contribution this year.

Mikel Arteta, Vieira’s manager, has made it clear that the attraction was instant. As soon as he saw Vieira playing for Porto, he knew he wanted him. The fans have had to wait to see him this season due to an injury, but Arteta has watched him in training and knew what was to come. “You are going to see a lot more of him in the next few weeks,” said Arteta earlier this month. “I am sure that you will enjoy it.”

Arsenal’s supporters luxuriated in this showing, and they already had a song ready for the new man in their midfield. The famous old tune for Patrick Vieira, the former captain, has been easily rejigged: he comes from Portugal (rather than Senegal), he plays for Arsenal.

Arteta wants a side that is capable of dominating the ball all over the pitch, and players like Vieira are crucial to that strategy. He kept things simple for much of the game, delivering a constant stream of short passes, and his composure on the ball allowed Arsenal to take full control against a Brentford team that was made to look far weaker than it is.

“We know his talent, the reasons we signed him and what he can bring to the team,” said Arteta. “To do it against Brentford, at this ground, on his debut, is a different story. He showed again his character and his qualities.

“He is a creative player. He needs to play with his gut feeling and his instinct. We need to create as many scenarios for him as possible to put his talent to the service of the team. What I like as well is the way he competes, and the way he went about the ugly part of the game really impressed me.”

Vieira is the sort of player who used to thrive at Arsenal. Impish, slight, quick-footed. Arteta wants to bring those qualities back and, with Odegaard also in the squad, he is getting there. It helps that Vieira offers quality end product: last year, with Porto, he produced six goals and 14 assists in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Alongside Vieira were Granit Xhaka, excellent again, and Thomas Partey. At the back, William Saliba was faultless once more. These players are providing the forwards with a platform to thrive, and Vieira certainly took the opportunity they had given him.