Mikel Arteta insists one Arsenal star is ‘certainly’ world-class after Newcastle win

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Mikel Arteta has now had his say on if one Arsenal star should be considered world-class or not.

Mikel Arteta has now heaped praise on Arsenal midfielder Jorginho after his performance against Newcastle United.

The midfield veteran was in fine form against the Magpies. The Italy international played a huge role in helping Arsenal to utterly dominate the match, particularly in the opening 45 minutes. Arsenal did not even allow Newcastle to have a shot in the first half, which is not something that the Tyneside outfit had previously failed to do in the Premier League for ten years. 

Jorginho was the deepest-lying member of the Arsenal midfield trio, with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice both stationed in more advanced roles ahead of him. The 32-year-old did an impressive job of screening the Gunners’ rearguard, and worked tirelessly to snuff out potential Newcastle counter-attacks. The fact that he appeared to go down with cramp in both legs towards the end of the match shows just how much of a shift he put in.

The former Chelsea man was even more impressive on the ball, though. He was always happy to receive possession under pressure and was progressive and inventive with his passing. With one particularly eye-catching ball over the top of the Newcastle defence, Jorginho was able to pick out the run of Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian attacker then cut the ball back across the box for Kai Havertz to score. 

Mikel Arteta wades into world-class debate on Arsenal ace Jorginho

Arsenal fans were wowed by Jorginho’s display on Saturday evening. Arteta was also quick to hail his influence in the middle of the park. 

Speaking in his post-match press conference, as quoted by the club’s official website, the Spanish coach said, “he’s a top player, especially when the opponents have certain behaviours or certain set-up. The way I can imagine the game, he is going to have a big impact, but I think you have to do it at this level and when he’s not playing consistently, credit to him because he was magnificent today, again.”

When asked if Jorginho ought to be thought of as a world-class player, Arteta replied, “he is certainly.”

As things stand, the Brazil-born midfielder is set to become a free agent this summer. The Gunners do hold a one-year extension option on his current deal, but it is yet to be triggered. There has been plenty of clamour for Arsenal to extend Jorginho’s stay at the Emirates Stadium. He clearly still has plenty to offer, and the calls for him to be kept into next season will surely now only grow louder after his most recent display.