Mikel Arteta can unleash Arsenal star outperforming Kylian Mbappe as Kai Havertz woes continue

Mikel Arteta can look to unleash Arsenal star Fabio Vieira after the international break as the Gunners prepare for a return to Champions League action. The Portuguese midfielder has impressed in brief spells after coming on as a substitute against Fulham and Manchester United in recent weeks.

The 23-year-old is even outperforming thelikes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in key areas with his cameo appearances. Vieira completed a £34million move to the Emirates Stadium last summer but failed to nail down a place in the starting XI on a consistent basis.

Arsenal added more competition in midfield this summer with the signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz for a combined fee of £170million. However, the former has settled in much quicker than the latter which may force Arteta into tweaking his starting XI after the international break.

Speaking after the dramatic 3-1 win against United on Sunday, Arteta was asked whether Vieira could be handed more game time after the international break with the fixture schedule becoming increasingly congested. The Arsenal boss responded: «Every player has a chance.

»We decided to start with Kai [Havertz], but we knew Fabio [Vieira] would have a huge impact — especially in the final minutes if we needed something. Something has changed with Fabio, you notice it from how he was last year.

«He's more mature, he's more of a senior in the squad and his confidence is high. So, I'm really happy to have those options.»

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Vieira provided the assist for Gabriel Jesus' winning goal as the two substitutes combined to secure the three points for the Gunners. The 23-year-old is a standout performer when