If Arsenal end up winning the league and someone asks me who their secret weapon was, I’d easily choose Jorginho.
The Italian international delivered an impressive performance as Arsenal secured a 4-1 victory over Newcastle. There has been a lot of praise for his brilliance every time he’s given a chance to feature, but I believe something has been missed. How is it possible that people are overlooking the fact that Jorginho is Arteta’s secret weapon? When you look closely at the games Mikel Arteta has fielded the £12 million 2023 recruit in, you’ll see that he’s been chosen for games you’d call big games.
Aside from the match against Burnley, the Arsenal manager has started the former Chelsea player in important matches like those against Newcastle (twice), Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool. The 32-year-old clearly stands out as Arsenal’s key player in important matches. He’s Arteta’s secret weapon, as despite the ongoing requests for more playing time, the Arsenal manager chooses to deploy him strategically based on his impact.
Jorginho’s addition definitely helps balance out the team. When he plays out of possession, Mikel Arteta uses him in a two-man midfield pivot with Declan Rice in a 4-2-4 formation. Having a Jorginho-Rice midfield pivot allows Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard to press opponents and make their defence unsettled.
This makes it difficult for the opposition to play from the back. But if the opponents’ defence manages to bypass this initial press, Jorginho and Rice are ready to apply another layer of pressure.
Jorginho is definitely crucial to this Arsenal team, especially after his outstanding performance in big games. Some might argue for him to keep his place in Arsenal’s starting lineup going forward. Considering Arteta’s tactical approach with the European Champion, it’s clear why he may choose not to start Jorginho against Sheffield United next week.
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