Jose Mourinho has admitted he loves what manager Mikel Arteta is doing at Arsenal and has praised him for using Jakub Kiwior as a left-back.
The Gunners are top of the Premier League table having played one more game than Manchester City. Their recent goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium appealed to Mourinho.
A loss against the reigning champions would have been damaging, and Mourinho was impressed with the defensive display he saw from the Gunners.
“I am happy because I like the kid,” Mourinho told the Daily Telegraph.
“And I am happy everything goes for him. But the way they [Arsenal] played to get that point – and the way the media spoke about a magic strategy.
“In my time, it was not a magic strategy, and I won at Manchester City a few times. But it was not an amazing strategy.
“It was a defensive game. Park the bus. Park the double bus. It was a different perspective.”
Mourinho also pointed out how Arsenal have been playing natural centre-backs across other positions to have much-needed defensive compactness.
“Look to Manchester City, look to Arsenal – just to give two examples.” he added. “How many central defenders do they have in the team?”
“Sometimes they have six as a matter of principle. Then they play in other positions. They play right-back, left-back, they play midfield.
“But they play with five or six central defenders on the pitch. Why? If I am a journalist I would ask the manager.
“They feel the need for defensive stability and a defensive compactness.”
Mourinho claims the reason Arteta uses Kiwior as a left-back is because his physicality is useful in winning duels and defending set-pieces, and the 24-year-old has played more in the position than centre-back.
He has been preferred to Oleksandr Zinchenko in certain games, and he has impressed, weighing in with a goal and three assists in 18 Premier League appearances this term.
Arsenal have shipped the fewest goals (26) in the league this term. The defensive record is still not as impressive as Mourinho’s first season in the Premier League when Chelsea leaked just 15 goals in 38 games, but is something the Portuguese would be proud of given his love for brilliant defences.
The post ‘I like the kid’ – Mourinho admits he is blown away by Arsenal man, singles out 24y/o for his physicality first appeared on GoonerTalk.
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