Garth Crooks has lauded Jorginho’s performance against Aston Villa on Saturday as well as praised how well the Italian international compliments Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
Writing in his Team of the Week column, the BBC Sport pundit was full of praise for the midfielder after his stoppage time thunderbolt resulted in a Emi Martinez own goal, leading Arsenal to a 4-2 win against Villa and putting the Gunners back on top of the Premier League.
Crooks lauds impact Jorginho has made on Odegaard
Jorginho got the start at Villa Park with Thomas Partey still recovering from a minor injury. And just like against Manchester City, the former Chelsea star was once again solid in the Arsenal midfield, with Crooks noting that Odegaard has been allowed to flourish with the Italian in the starting XI.
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The pundit said: “His performance against Aston Villa was biting, while his style of play complements the artistry of Martin Odegaard. The Italy international’s 93rd-minute strike may have gone down as an own goal, but he won’t give a monkey’s about that.”
Signed on deadline day, Jorginho has surprised many supporters with his recent performances for Arsenal. And whilst fans would still want Partey back on the teamsheet, the 31-year-old has filled in for the Ghanian international to a level that has not seen the Gunners’ overall displays drop off a cliff like a majority predicted.
Jorginho is developing into an ideal Partey replacement
Many were sceptical about the signing of Jorginho in the January window, yes as mentioned by Crooks, the midfielder’s impact has been exactly what Arsenal needed, with the Italian’s growing relationship with Odegaard also a major boost for the squad.
Whilst Partey is of course the main defensive midfielder, Jorginho proving to be an ideal deputy for the former Atletico Madrid star, with his ability to allow Odegaard to grow into games more something that could prove very beneficial in the coming matches against Leicester City and Everton.