Rio Ferdinand praises one Arsenal player who was ‘amazing’ on Tuesday
Apart from youngsters like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli who were superb against Chelsea, Rio Ferdinand has praised one of the senior players as well after Tuesday’s performance.
The Gunners were looking to respond to the disappointment from the weekend with a better result at Stamford Bridge after conceding a late equalizer which saw them settle for a draw in the clash with Sheffield United last Saturday.
With Chelsea often struggling at home this season, Arsenal knew a win was possible but that became an uphill task in the first half as David Luiz was sent off for a foul in the penalty box after a blunder from Shkodran Mustafi.
In the absence of the Gunners’ Brazilian centre-back, Mikel Arteta ordered Granit Xhaka of all people to drop into the makeshift back four as the home side threatened to turn the game into a one-sided affair.
However, perhaps to the surprise of some fans, Xhaka filled in very well at centre-back, helping the team see out the pressure from Chelsea’s attack as goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Hector Bellerin grabbed a 2-2 draw.
After the final whistle, BT Sport pundit and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand heaped praise on Xhaka for his ‘amazing’ contribution.
“I’ve criticised Xhaka,” Ferdinand said, as quoted The Sport Review
“But how he showed that desire, the maturity, the mentality to slip into the back-four and hold it all together was amazing.
“That’s inspirational for other players. I’m shifting position and making sure we get this result. Fight, spirit. It was there for Arteta to see.”