Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has compared the Gunners summer signing to Chelsea star N’Golo Kante, as quoted by 101GreatGoals.
What’s the word?
Unai Emery has battled to imprint his own style upon Arsenal during the first few months of his tenure and, despite some successes, it is clear there is still some way to go after two defeats and two wins in his opening four matches.
The Gunners were busy during the transfer window rejuvenating their squad and one acquisition that caught the eye was Lucas Torreira, who arrived from Italian side Sampdoria and impressed fans with his displays for Uruguay at the World Cup.
However, Torreira is yet to start for Arsenal this season as Emery has utilised Granit Xhaka alongside Matteo Guendouzi as his first-choice pairing at the Emirates Stadium – although many have called for him to change his selection.
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has now thrown his thoughts into the mix, comparing Torreira to World Cup winner N’Golo Kante in comments to Goal.
What was said?
“I watched him [Torreira] in the World Cup. He did a very good job. If you see the way he plays, he plays the game very simply. He makes things easy for himself on the field.
‘He gives protection to the back four and support to the guys up front. He tries to find the best spot to be in. The protective instinct is very natural for him. Before he arrived none of the other players were the kind who would sit in front of the back four. It’s a hard job, not everyone wants this job.
“Of course, you have Kante at Chelsea. He’s a small player. It’s about how smart they are to play in this position, to find the best ball to give, play nice and simple.”
Should Emery make a change?
While Xhaka isn’t the most popular player at Arsenal, it is clear he is an important part of Emery’s side when you look between the lines and his partnership with Torreira for the latter stages of the 3-2 win over Cardiff City caught the eye.
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As such, the most likely player to miss out is young midfielder Matteo Guendouzi. While the teenager has impressed this season, dropping the France talent for Torreira could be the breath of fresh air Arsenal have been crying out for.
It is easy to see why Gilberto has likened Torreira to Kante, as both are small, combative players who thrive on making challenges and interceptions, and he is right with his statement that this is the sort of area where Arsenal have lacked in recent years.
After witnessing Kante’s rise in recent years and his importance to Leicester City, Chelsea and France, Emery should call upon Torreira immediately.
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