Arteta praises Jorginho’s performance against Manchester City

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has praised new signing Jorginho following his impressive full debut against Manchester City on Wednesday.

The Spaniard said he enjoyed how assured Jorginho was and how he passed that quality to others on the pitch during the clash.

Jorginho joined Arsenal this summer in a move from Chelsea after the Gunners failed to sign Moises Caicedo. The Blues received around £12 million for the central midfielder.

His signing did not excite supporters, but Jorginho is an experienced player with outstanding qualities. The 31-year-old is also a top footballer on his day despite his flaws.

“He has been really good – he has come into the team and earned the respect of everybody,” Arteta said in his press conference ahead of their trip to Aston Villa this Saturday.

“You see his leadership, his understanding of the game, how he is coaching everybody. I think he had a really good game.

Jorginho’s experience will be vital for Arsenal as they reorganise themselves to continue their title challenge. The north London side has not won any of their last four games.

They were beaten by Man City in the FA Cup before Everton defeated them on Sean Dyche’s debut as manager of the club. They then drew Brentford before the latest loss to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Man City now top the Premier League table, with both sides accruing 51 points, but Arsenal still have a game in hand.

Arteta touched on the importance of having players who have seen it all. He talked about these players who have won trophies, showing the squad how to do it.

“You need players with those experiences who can guide, who can lead and can offer reassurances and show them the path of how it gets done,” said Arteta.

“If you want to win the league, you are going to have to dig deep. Sometimes you will lose one or two matches.

“Sometimes you are going to merit to win it and not lose it – sometimes you have to win it in 96 [minutes], sometimes you have to play with ten men. You have to win in many different contexts.”

Arsenal travel to Villa hoping for a result after their recent disappointing run. They come up against former Arsenal manager Unai Emery.

The Villains will look at Arsenal and see a team low on confidence and devoid of form. They are there for the taking and it will be an exciting game at Villa Park.