“He had 63 touches, 83% passing accuracy, and he dictated the game very well for us last night”- Arsenal defender William says his £110k-p/w teammate is their new Granit Xhaka as he dictates games- Player Not Ødegaard, Not Saka and not Nwaneri
“He had 63 touches, 83% passing accuracy, and he dictated the game very well for us last night”- Arsenal defender William says his £110k-p/w teammate is their new Granit Xhaka as he dictates games- Player Not Ødegaard, Not Saka and not Nwaneri
£110k-p/w Arsenal star just showed why he’s their new Granit Xhaka
Arsenal are back. All it took was Martin Odegaard to return and suddenly the Gunners look like Premier League and Champions League contenders again.
It’s funny how football works, isn’t it? During a run of four league games between October and November, Mikel Arteta failed to steer his men to a single win.
There was nightmare evening on the south coast when Bournemouth defeated Arsenal before they also lost up north when they travelled to Newcastle. That was between draws with Liverpool and Chelsea, slightly more acceptable results.
Sadly, those performances have left them behind in the title race with Arne Slot’s Liverpool cementing themselves at the top of the division.
However, we all know just how swiftly things can change. This is a hectic festive schedule, after all.
Their latest performance was a thrilling and chaotic 5-2 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Arsenal’s best performers against West Ham
The last time Arsenal travelled to the London Stadium they put in a performance worthy of the Olympic gold medalists who once graced such an area of the country.
The visitors left having sealed a 6-0 win against David Moyes’ side. This time around Julen Lopetegui’s men hardly fared much better as Arsenal raced into a 4-0 lead after 36 minutes on the clock.
It was Bukayo Saka who was at the heart of things as usual, laying on two assists and scoring from the penalty spot.
The Englishman was simply sublime, with his wicked delivery from the corner spot finding Gabriel who headed home to open the scoring. Saka was the provider for the second, darting into Odegaard’s clipped ball in behind before laying it on a plate for Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal’s no.7 was again at the heart of things for the third goal as he was fouled to give them their second penalty in as many games. Saka would be the usual taker but he handed over the ball to Odegaard who made no mistake from 12 yards.
Although it was Leandtro Trossard and Kai Havertz who combined for the fourth goal, Saka was again involved in the final strike, stepping up to slot home the visitors’ second penalty of the game.
While the likes of Gabriel and Saka stood out, praise should be reserved for Jorginho.
Jorginho’s performance in numbers
Prior to the north Londoners’ 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, Italy international Jorginho had started just twice in the Premier League this term.
In truth, it has turned out to be a bizarre decision considering his outings in the last week or so.
To date, the likes of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino have been preferred in the centre of the park but the last few weeks have allowed for the former Chelsea star to feature instead. It’s safe to say that he’s done an admirable job after coming back into the team.
Should we be surprised? Definitely not. The £110k-per-week earner is a big game player and when he plays, the Gunners do often come out on top. Usually trusted against the top sides in the division, he is a remarkably consistent asset, notably starting in wins against Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle last term.
For a bargain price of just £12m, it is hard to argue that he isn’t one of the best value-for-money signings of the Arteta era. He proved as much with yet another metronomic performance against the Hammers.
He featured for the full 90 minutes and in the process, won four of his six ground duels and completed 83% of his passes. For context, only Jurrien Timber won more ground duels (6) in Arsenal colours.
So, why should he go down as one of the best Arsenal’s best signings in recent years? Well, while much of the club’s recruitment has been built on signing young and progressing players, Jorginho is a very different player.
As a certain Granit Xhaka was before, the 32-year-old is Arteta’s voice on the pitch, he’s the true leader of the group without possessing the armband. Unlike some in the squad, he boasts experience that very few players in this side have. He’s won the Champions League, he’s won the Euros and he’s been a brilliantly consistent Premier League player for a long time now.
Having had very few poor games in Arsenal colours. He is without a doubt one of the biggest unsung heroes in the team. Saka and Gabriel will steal the headlines but it should not be understated just how important Jorginho is.
His performances are better than any stats could possibly showcase.
