Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi impressed once again as Spain beat Bulgaria in their World Cup qualifier.
The European Champions are among the favourites to win the World Cup next year, and their performance on Tuesday night showed why.
Mikel Merino was the star of the show for Spain with his two goals, but many others showed their class under Luis de la Fuente as well.
Zubimendi was one of them, and he has received some praise from his country’s press.
Spanish media deliver verdict on Arsenal star Martin Zubimendi after 4-0 win
Martin Zubimendi has become a regular starter for Spain because of Rodri’s fitness issues.
The Arsenal midfielder has had a great start to life in the Premier League, but his performances for his national team have been even better.
In their first game of the international break against Georgia, Zubimendi dominated the midfield and won all of his duels.
On Thursday, the former Real Sociedad star was brilliant again and has received a ton of praise for his display from the Spanish media.
Sport gave him a 7/10 rating and wrote: “Reliable! We’ll have to wait and see what happens when Rodri returns to his full potential, but Zubimendi has proven he’s fit to be a starter for this team.
“He’s always accurate, both on and off the ball. He’s also dared to make more aggressive moves against the opponent’s system on several occasions.”
AS were also impressed with him and said: “The anchor of Spain and Arsenal once again proved why he receives undeniable praise from Arteta and De la Fuente.
“With Pedri monopolising the management of attacking operations, Zubimendi once again bordered on perfection in his crafting: 81 of 82 passes completed successfully and one ball recovered, one of the few that crossed the Spanish half.”
Marca were a bit more critical. After giving him a 6/10 rating, they wrote: “The Arsenal player, one of the national team’s untouchables, returned to the starting lineup.
“He had one of the best chances of the first half, but tried to control instead of shooting first time, and the opportunity was wasted. He was restrained in his start, but lacked much brilliance.”
Martin Zubimendi’s stats vs Bulgaria
Zubimendi is such a brilliant midfielder to watch.
The Arsenal star is not the biggest player on the pitch by any means, but the way he dominates every game when he has the ball at his feet is just incredible.
Against Bulgaria, Zubimendi had 90 touches of the ball and maintained a stunning 99 per cent passing accuracy. He also created a chance and had just one unsuccessful touch in the entire game.
Furthermore, the midfielder made six recoveries and a clearance, and he also won the only duel he contested. (Sofascore)
It was a fantastic display from Zubimendi, and Arsenal fans will be hoping to see the same against Fulham on Saturday.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
