DEBUT: For new Leeds United winger Noah Okafor, left, at Arsenal.placeholder image
DEBUT: For new Leeds United winger Noah Okafor, left, at Arsenal. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Liverpool’s transfer business has received all the plaudits this summer but an Arsenal gem is already proving to be a bargain.
There is no room for sentiment in modern football and Mikel Arteta is now faced with a difficult decision when next picking the Arsenal starting XI.
At the core of the successful start to the season has been how frugal the defence has been, just one goal conceded and even then, there was little that the defence could be blamed for as Dominik Szoboszlai rattled one into the top corner of David Raya’s net from 35-yards out at Anfield.
It was another clean sheet against Athletic Club that helped to get the job done on matchday one in the Champions League with one player earning all the plaudits for his performance.
Cristhian Mosquera earns Arsenal plaudits after Athletic display
The Spanish youth international has also impressed his teammates with Julien Timber singing his defensive partner’s praises after a solid performance away from home against awkward opposition.
Timber said: “He does amazing especially as he’s still so young. The way he’s come in, he makes it look so easy for himself, winning his duels and on the ball as well. It’s great to have him next to me and I think he has a huge future ahead of him as well.”
Someone who agrees is former Gunner Martin Keown, who is well versed in the ways of aggressive defending and keeping clean sheets, speaking on TNT Sports, he couldn’t help but hide his delight with the 6ft 3inch tall colossus.
“I think it’s a good purchase,” Keown said. “He’s in the same DNA as Saliba and Gabriel. I didn’t know if (Jakub) Kiwior was quite at the level of the other two if I’m being honest. This fella…mobile, quick, strong. There’s a lot more to come, and he’s put in some brilliant performances.”
What Arteta has said about Mosquera’s impact
The hardest thing now for Mosquera will be to keep his feet on the ground with Arteta also having praised the 21-year old after his display against Nottingham Forest: “You’ve just seen today and what he did in Anfield, very, very hard he's going to push him. This kid wants it a lot and he's so willing to learn. He's got some great qualities that fit very well in any position that we want to use him in relation to the connections and the qualities of the other defenders.”
Speaking when he first signed though, it is clear that Mosquera is a player who won’t get carried away and that he appreciates the value of hard work, via Arsenal’s official website: “It’s true my career has moved faster than expected and I’ve had to mature fast. Coming here is a chance to keep learning and improving. I’ll be working with great players and a top-class coaching staff, so that will help me develop personally.
“I’m a player with a lot of energy. I’m young, so I still have plenty to give. I’m fully motivated and excited. Above all, I want to improve, which will create competition within the squad. I’m really happy.”
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