Former Arsenal star Ray Parlour believes that his side have found a new Martin Keown in the shape of Jorginho. The midfielder was a surprise inclusion in the Gunners’ starting XI against Liverpool over the weekend but proved his worth in midfield, being named man of the match.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard all scoring for the north London outfit.
The Reds could have no complaints about leaving the Emirates Stadium without the three points, with Arsenal dominating proceedings and tactically outwitting their opponents. Several stars stepped up for the Gunners when it mattered most, especially Jorginho.
The ex-Chelsea midfielder was favoured to complete Arteta’s midfield trio with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, and he made a significant contribution for his side. Jorginho dictated the tempo of the match with his patient approach, luring Liverpool’s attackers into pressing before orchestrating attacks.
The Italian international was heavily praised for his performance, with Arsenal hero Parlour even comparing him to Keown. He told Football FanCast: “It was a bit of a shock when the team came up and it was a situation where you thought, hold on. Certainly, he [Arteta] got it right. He was fantastic in the end, Jorginho. I’m really pleased for him because he’s a really good pro.
“He’s really good around the dressing room. Sometimes you need characters around the dressing room who even though you don’t play on a regular basis, you can keep pushing the lads. We had Martin Keown in the Invincibles who didn’t play many games but he was always in that area where if someone was dropping off he was pushing people. Jorginho is a certain player like that.”