A number of Arsenal players were able to impress during the 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Arsenal had to produce a defensive masterclass to keep their bitter local rivals at bay in the North London Derby.
Gabriel Magalhaes was the star of the show, as the Brazilian centre-back put on a magnificent defensive display, and also popped up with the winning goal as he headed home from Bukayo Saka’s second half corner.
William Saliba and David Raya were also outstanding on the day, whilst Jurrien Timber impressed Arsenal fans with his all-action performance.
Mikel Arteta had to ring the changes for this fixture, as he has been faced with something of an injury crisis at Arsenal. This meant that the Gunners were without a number of key players, particularly in the middle of the park.
Jorginho and Thomas Partey both started in midfield.
- READ MORE: What is the North London Derby? Everything you need to know about the Arsenal and Tottenham rivalry
Alan Shearer impressed by Arsenal ace Jorginho vs Tottenham Hotspur
Jorginho was given his first minutes the Premier League season in this match, and was also handed the captain’s armband in Martin Odegaard’s absence.
Alan Shearer felt that the veteran midfielder stepped up to the occasion admirably.
The former Newcastle United striker even selected Jorginho in his Team of the Week pick.
Writing on the official Premier League website, he said: “Making his first appearance of the season, showed all his experience by marshalling a midfield missing captain Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice superbly. The ultimate professional.”
The 32-year-old’s professionalism certainly can’t be questioned, and he undeniably put in a huge effort against Spurs, but many Arsenal fans may still be surprised by his inclusion in Shearer’s selection.
How Jorginho really played against Spurs
Whilst Jorginho worked hard on Sunday, he was unable to help Arsenal take control of the match.
According to Sofascore statistics, the Italy international was able to complete just 19 of his 24 attempted passes. His lack of pace was exposed at times too, particularly in the latter stages of the match, as fatigue set in.
In an ideal world, Arteta would not have wanted Jorginho to have to play 90 minutes, but the Spanish coach’s midfield options were depleted to such an extent that he had little choice but to leave the former Chelsea man on the pitch.
Overall, Jorginho did about as well as could be expected in the circumstances, but did not necessarily impress to the extent that Shearer’s comments would suggest.
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