For the pre-match press briefing Arsene Wenger compared the Egyptian midfielder to the France legend, Jean Tigana
Although Elneny is not quite there yet, he certainly proved that his future at Arsenal will be a bright one.
The £5million Egyptian from Basel was given his Arsenal début on Saturday in front of a home crowd at the Emirates Stadium in London
Playing the full 90-minutes, Elneny’s début was full of energy, desire, and determination
The 23-year old showed enough to suggest that he will be able to secure a role in Arsene WengerÂ’s season.
The best part about his performance was his energy and the fighting spirit he portrayed
Although his enthusiasm held him back on a few occasions, leaving him out of position several times while in pursuit of the ball.
Elneny had made a name for himself at Basel as a defensive midfielder but he added more forward-thinking elements over the first half of the season, which led Wenger to trust that Elneny can play in a box-to-box role.
The rough physical aspects of Premier League football is something that the Egyptian will have to adjust to
“I think he was surprised by the intensity of the game, by the challenges,” Wenger said
“At the start, the players are surprised as well by how much the referee lets go
In England, you hear the referee say a lot: ‘Get on with it.’ In other countries, he would whistle.”
Will he be a regular starter? Probably not
Aaron Ramsey and the fit-again Coquelin will fill the two central midfield roles for now
However, Elneny is off to a promising start.
Source : DSG
Source: DSG