Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Arsenal’s monumental 107-touch monster who ran the show against Brentford

He won 9 duels and had 107 touches. I hate always leaving him on the bench because he was great. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, was gushing over Arsenal’s incredible 107-touch monster that dominated Brentford last night.

Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, showered praise on the team’s 107-touch monster after it crushed Brentford on Monday.

The star tackler for Arsenal versus Brentford was “monumental.”

One player has shone out as the Gunners’ cup journey has continued.

With a hard-fought victory over Brentford on the road on Friday night, Arsenal moved on to the EFL Cup’s second round.

Last Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium, Everton showed the Bees how to be defeated, so Mikel Arteta made his own decision, controlling possession while maintaining his battling spirit. The talent of Reiss Nelson ultimately came through.

How did Reiss Nelson play vs Brentford?

After finishing the game with the second-highest Sofascore rating of any player, the English winger was given the opportunity to make his first start of the year in a challenging situation.

The fact that he scored the game-winning goal, which was executed to absolute perfection, was not the only factor in his performance meriting acclaim. The trickster was a persistent threat, firing one wide and hitting the woodwork with a late chance. The 23-year-old was successful with his lone dribble attempt as long as he was efficient in possession.

This point was further supported by his superb pass accuracy, which stayed at an astonishing 96% pass accuracy out of the 48 passes attempted.

Such a performance surely set a precedent for Bukayo Saka’s first-team aspirations, especially given the recent questions surrounding his fitness. However, Jorginho’s performance was crucial in maintaining this in a game when they continuously sought to maintain control.

How did Jorginho play vs Brentford?

The addition of the seasoned midfield maestro always brings calmness—the north London derby error notwithstanding—but may occasionally cause the play to sluggishly impact their approach.

That was not the case last night, as the 31-year-old was constantly present and vital in keeping the game moving along quietly while also giving the team a strong basis to build on.

He had 107 touches in the engine room as a result, and according to Sofascore, he had a 90% pass accuracy with two vital passes.

Declan Rice’s absence became a non-issue since Jorginho, a former Chelsea player, was in charge of everything.

He wasn’t only a passer, though; according to Sofascore, the general earning £110k a week also made seven tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances while triumphing in eight of his nine ground battles.

Therefore, it should not be surprising that author Aaron Catterson-Reid hailed the star player on Twitter, saying: “Jorginho has been monumental today to be fair to him, wow.”

Simon Collings, a colleague of mine who rated the steely ace in the Evening Standard after the game, would concur: “Had a nightmare game against Tottenham on Sunday when he came off the bench, but recovered well here.” He is often unflappable when in possession.

It is the sign of a truly elite footballer to bounce back from a setback like James Maddison dislodging him for Tottenham Hotspur’s second equalizer, which explains why Arteta invested in him in January.

Whether or if Jorginho contributes significantly over the next several weeks, his influence on the team as a whole could be crucial to the team’s success this year. The performance from last night merely highlighted this.