Arsenal have brought in Jorginho from Chelsea as a backup for Thomas Partey – here’s a look at their stats in the Premier League since the start of the season.
The Gunners really needed a new man in the middle of the park after Albert Sambi Lokonga was loaned out to Crystal Palace and Mohamed Elneny underwent surgery following a serious knee injury.
Many Arsenal fans aren’t too keen on Jorginho because they think he’s not quite on the same level as Partey. Their stats this season, however, reveal that they’re a lot closer than you think.
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Arsenal: Thomas Partey vs Jorginho stats compared
As Arsenal completed the formalities to make Jorginho’s signing official, Sky Sports pulled up his stats and compared them to that of Thomas Partey in the Premier League this season.
The Ghanian, as well all know, is one of, if not, the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. He has taken his game to a whole new level this term, and he’s one of the biggest reasons why we are on top of the table.
Jorginho, on the other hand, has been in a struggling Chelsea side who are 10th in the league table at the moment. He hasn’t had a great season either, but some of his stats are still on par with Partey’s.
According to Sky, the Arsenal number five averages 2.32 tackles per game, while Jorginho boasts 2.95. The Italian has a better return with respect to interceptions and ball recoveries too, averaging 1.48 and 8.36 respectively compared to Partey’s 1.23 and 8.01.
Partey completes more passes per game than Joginho – 58.24 compared to 52.48 – but the Italian wins the battle when it comes to forward passes – 30.97 compared to 28.98.
More: Cucurella’s surprise reaction after finding out Jorginho is joining Arsenal
The Insider’s View:
Firstly, we’re not saying Jorginho is better than Partey here – the Ghanaian is much superior, it’s not even a debate.
However, the Italian is not as bad as people are making him out to be.
Yes, Jorginho is vulnerable when he’s isolated against opposition attackers, but his ability to control the tempo of the game, pick out a pass and retain possession is just fantastic.
Partey will remain Mikel Arteta’s first choice, but Jorginho is more than capable of stepping up when the Ghanaian needs a breather.
