Fabio Vieira blown away by what Cedric Soares did in Arsenal U21s game last night

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Arsenal new boy Fabio Vieira donned the famous red and white for the first time last night in a U21 game against Swansea City alongside his countryman, Cedric Soares.

The Gunners splashed £34 million to sign the versatile Portuguese midfielder from Porto this summer (Sky Sports). He didn’t play a single game for the Gunners during pre-season due to a foot injury, but he was given an opportunity in the Premier League Cup last night.

Fabio Vieira blown away by what Cedric Soares did in Arsenal U21s game last night

Three first-team players started for the Arsenal U21s against Swansea at Meadow Park last night – Vieira, Cedric and Emile Smith Rowe. The two midfielders were only given 45 minutes, but the right-back played the whole game.

All eyes were on Vieira, who was making his debut for Arsenal, albeit at the U21 level. Mikel Arteta, his assistants and Gunners stars Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli were all in attendance to watch the game.

The talented 22-year-old showed flashes of brilliance on the ball and linked up really well with Emile Smith Rowe on the right side of the pitch, but there were times where he struggled with the pace of the game.

That, however, isn’t a big issue as last night’s game was Vieira’s first taste of English football. He will get better, and Cedric could well give him a few tips – not just on adaptation but also on scoring stunners from distance.

The right-back took a free-kick yesterday after a foul on Lino Sousa and he smashed the ball into the back of the net. It was a really impressive strike from the defender, and Vieira was impressed.

Cedric commented on Vieira’s Instagram post after the game last night. He wrote: “Well done bro.” The Arsenal new boy replied: “Thanks bro. What a goal!”

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Cedric’s free-kick really was sensational, but that’s unlikely to boost his chances of regular game time.

The experienced Portuguese defender has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal, and he may not play a game for Mikel Arteta’s side for a while considering the number of options the Gunners boss has at his disposal now.

Ben White has been playing at right-back after William Saliba took his place in the heart of defence. Takehiro Tomiyasu is now back as well, which means Cedric is pushed further down.

The Portugal international is a decent player on his day, but he may have to wait until the Europa League begins to even get a sniff of first-team football.