Fewer Touches Than Raya: Arteta Must Immediately Drop 5/10 Arsenal Ace and Start “Phenomenal” Player
Arsenal have had a challenging few weeks recently.
The club first suffered a setback when new signing Mikel Merino sustained a shoulder injury. This was followed by Declan Rice receiving a red card during a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. To make matters worse, club captain and midfield star Martin Odegaard was ruled out for at least three weeks while on international duty.
Despite these obstacles, Mikel Arteta has consistently demonstrated his ability to navigate difficult situations. Even with a weakened midfield, he managed to lead his team to a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday afternoon.
Though it wasn’t an exceptional attacking display, the team worked hard for their manager. Nevertheless, as Arsenal prepare for their Champions League opener this week, Arteta might consider dropping one of his starters who registered fewer touches than David Raya.
Why Arteta Needs to Drop Jorginho
Italy international Jorginho was the player in focus, and although his performance wasn’t outstanding, he was tasked with a specific role and managed to handle it reasonably well given the situation.
That being said, his age and the fact that this was his first appearance of the season highlighted certain limitations in his game, which cannot be overlooked, especially in the context of an upcoming clash with Atalanta.
For example, over the course of 95 minutes, Jorginho managed only 29 touches, which was 19 fewer than goalkeeper Raya. Additionally, he lost five out of eight duels, misplaced possession eight times, committed two fouls, and by the final whistle, appeared visibly drained.
These limitations were noted by Kaya Kaynak, football.london‘s lead Arsenal writer, who awarded the 32-year-old a 5/10 rating. Kaynak emphasized that Jorginho’s “lack of mobility was evident” and that he was “easily outpaced by Kulusevski on multiple occasions.”
Despite the drawbacks, Jorginho showed determination and proved he still has something to offer Arteta’s squad. However, his lack of mobility and evident fatigue suggest that a spot on the bench may be more suitable for Thursday’s match.
Declan Rice Should Replace Jorginho
It may not be surprising, considering Arteta’s admiration for Jorginho, that there is a possibility the Italian could be in the starting lineup for the game in Bergamo this week, even though it might not be the best choice.
That said, Rice should be reinstated, and there are several reasons why this decision makes sense.
The first reason is simple: Rice is one of the most skilled midfielders in the country and, for that reason, should feature in significant European matches, especially against a team that clinched the Europa League title last season.
| Rice in 23/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive Midfield | Central Midfield |
| Appearances | 31 | 19 |
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Assists | 4 | 6 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.22 | 0.52 |
| Stats Source: Transfermarkt | ||
For instance, although the 25-year-old played mainly as a traditional defensive midfielder during the 23/24 season, his performance was impressive.
The “phenomenal” player, as noted by respected analyst EBL, scored seven goals and provided ten assists, underscoring his significance at both defensive and offensive ends of the pitch.
Another reason for starting the 25-year-old is related to the upcoming game against Manchester City this weekend.
If he does not participate in the match against Atalanta, his first Arsenal appearance in over three weeks would be against the Champions, which could be disadvantageous.
This does not imply that the former West Ham United captain should play the entire match on Thursday, but he needs to regain some competitive experience with the team before the crucial encounter on Sunday.
In summary, while Jorginho performed adequately yesterday afternoon, receiving a 5/10 rating, Rice’s exceptional talent and the imminent clash with City make it crucial for him to start in the Champions League match this week.
In other Arsenal news, £100k p/w Arsenal Star Deserves to Be Given More Respect After Dominant Display vs Spurs
