Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta heaped admiration on Arsenal’s 107-touch monster, who dominated Brentford yesterday night.
Arsenal’s ace tackler was’monumental’ against Brentford.
As the Gunners’ cup run continues, one star has stood out.
Arsenal advanced to the next round of the EFL Cup with a spirited away win over Brentford Friday night.
Everton demonstrated how to defeat the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium last weekend, so Mikel Arteta chose his own way, dominating possession while keeping that fighting spirit. In the end, it was Reiss Nelson’s talent that shone through.
How did Reiss Nelson play vs Brentford?
The English winger was trusted to make his first start of the season in a difficult environment after earning the second-highest Sofascore rating of anyone in the match.
However, while his goal, which was shot home with beautiful perfection, proved the difference, it was not the only reason he was praised for an outstanding performance. The trickster was a persistent menace, hitting the woodwork with a late chance and sending another wide. As the 23-year-old remained effective in possession, this led to success with his single attempted dribble.
His excellent pass accuracy, which remained at a highly astounding 96% pass accuracy from the 48 attempted passes, emphasized this notion even more.
With Bukayo Saka’s fitness lately called into question, such a performance undoubtedly set a precedent for his first-team ambitions. However, in a game when they continually sought control, Jorginho’s performance was critical in sustaining this.
How did Jorginho play vs Brentford?
The arrival of the seasoned midfield maestro always adds composure – the north London derby error aside – but possibly slows down the play to the point where it occasionally affects their philosophy.
That was not the case yesterday night, with the 31-year-old being ever-present yet crucial in keeping play ticking over quietly while providing a solid foundation for the squad to build on.
As a result, he had 107 touches in the engine room while maintaining a 90% pass accuracy, two of which were critical passes, according to Sofascore.
Everything went through Jorginho, who made Declan Rice’s absence an afterthought as the former Chelsea player ruled the show.
However, his activity was not restricted to passing, as the £110k-per-week general also recorded seven tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances, while also winning eight of his nine ground duels, according to Sofascore.
It should come as no surprise, then, that journalist Aaron Catterson-Reid praised the ace on Twitter, writing: “Jorginho has been monumental today to be fair to him, wow.”
Fellow writer Simon Collings, who gave the steely ace a 7/10 in his post-match player ratings in the Evening Standard, would agree: “Had a nightmare game against Tottenham on Sunday when he came off the bench, but recovered well here.” When in possession, he is largely unflappable.”
To recover from such a setback, as James Maddison dispossessed him for Tottenham Hotspur’s second equalizer, is the mark of a true elite footballer, and explains why Arteta invested in him in January.
Whether or not he plays a significant role in the coming weeks, Jorginho’s impact in and around the squad could be critical to the club’s success this season. Last night’s performance simply emphasized this.
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