“I saw a very different version of him against Spurs, he’s a very incredible player despite the fact that his market value is just £23M”- Arsenal star Jurrien Timber revealed he was super delighted to see incredible £23M teammate delivering his best performance against Tottenham
“I saw a very different version of him against Spurs today, he’s a very incredible player despite the fact that his market value is just £23M”- Arsenal star Jurrien Timber revealed he was super delighted to see incredible £23M teammate delivering his best performance against Tottenham today
I saw ‘incredible’ £23m Arsenal player deliver his best performance yet against Tottenham
Arsenal supporters will certainly be celebrating long into the night as Mikel Arteta’s side delivered yet another eye-watering defensive display away from home.
Arsenal won the North London derby in front of their own goal, limiting Tottenham Hotspur to efforts which weren’t troubling David Raya at all.
In truth, Arteta’s side weren’t quite at their flowing best going forward, it was evident that Martin Odegaard’s delicate passing was missed in the final third.
Gabriel Martinelli struggled for Arsenal offensively, even if he did deliver another excellent defensive performance alongside those around him.
Jurrien Timber, who was just behind Martinelli before Raheem Sterling came on, was arguably just as resolute as Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba in the middle – a monumental effort.
Gabriel Magalhaes stands up for Arsenal when others were missing
Even before his goal, Gabriel was so impressive at the back, often bailing out the likes of Thomas Partey and Jorginho, who were prone to one or two shortcomings in the middle.
Via Sofascore, Gabriel made seven clearances, made two tackles, blocked two shots, and did just about everything.
The £23m-Brazilian has often delivered a performance of this echelon over the years, but there was something special about his aura against Spurs.
When Arsenal were missing Declan Rice and Odegaard, they needed one or two leaders to step up, and in came Gabriel.
The ‘incredible‘ centre-back was first to almost every ball into the box, and if he wasn’t then Saliba was swiftly behind him – the best partnership in the Premier League.
And it’s now so clear that Gabriel and his teammates are ready to win trophies in North London, it would be a catastrophe if they were empty-handed again come May.
Ethan Nwaneri impresses in brief North London derby debut
In terms of dishing out praise after Arsenal’s 1-0 win, Ethan Nwaneri deserves a mention.
The 17-year-old entered the game during a tough period for Arteta’s team when they were really digging in and defending.
Gabriel Jesus made a very smart decision insisting that Nwaneri played as the 10, reducing the emphasis on his defending slightly.
But either way, Nwaneri looked mature on the ball, he didn’t make any rash decisions and he also held the press incredibly well.
It was only a short cameo, but Nwaneri’s aura and potential was there for all to see, and it really wouldn’t be a huge surprise were he picked against Atalanta on Thursday.
