‘He can’t defend’: Arsenal player labeled basically useless defensively

By Sportgister

‘He can’t defend’: Arsenal player labeled basically useless defensively

Mikel Arteta is facing a significant challenge with the midfield situation at Arsenal.

While it’s evident that Declan Rice is a key fixture in the Arsenal lineup nowadays, the identity of his midfield partner remains uncertain.

Certainly, Thomas Partey is a viable choice, and we’ve also seen the likes of Fabio Vieira and Kai Havertz in Arsenal’s midfield this season.

Jorginho was selected for the match against Manchester City on Sunday.

However, in a commentary on ESPN, Stuart Robson pointed out that Jorginho lacks defensive capabilities in the central midfield role and suggested that Arsenal require a more defensively-minded player in that position.

Jorginho can’t defend

Robson discussed the player valued at £12 million and analyzed the makeup of both Arsenal and Manchester City’s midfield.

“I always talk about midfield players needing to do both sides of the game. When he’s a holding midfielder not only can he get on the ball he can defend as well. When you look at the players on the field, Rice can do that for Arsenal, but Jorginho can get on the ball and make things happen, but he can’t defend. Bernardo Silva can get on the ball but he can’t defend and he can’t run as Rodri can,” Robson said.

Robson’s assessment is accurate. Jorginho isn’t renowned for his defensive prowess, but in this case, he can be forgiven.

He’s not the archetypal defensive player; rather, he’s a luxury player who can be valuable in certain situations that suit Arsenal’s needs.

When facing a team like Man City, controlling the midfield and setting the tempo is paramount, which is why Jorginho was chosen. While adding some defensive tenacity to the mix would be beneficial, such players are indeed scarce.

‘He can’t defend’: Arsenal player labeled basically useless defensively