Ian Wright has hailed the performance of Mohamed Elneny, who again starred as Arsenal saw off Manchester United.
The Gunners beat their rivals at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtim e to bolster their top four hopes. Mikel Arteta is having to deal without Thomas Partey, who is absent through injury, meaning Elneny has come in to partner Granit Xhaka at the base of midfield.
The Egyptian has struggled for minutes this term but has seamlessly slotted back into the first-team. He had played just a handful of times for the north London outfit but has shown no lack of match sharpness as he helped Arsenal secure a 3-1 win over a poor United side.
Elneny's showing in the 4-2 success at Chelsea in midweek also drew praise and the former Basel man has again been singled out. Wright said on Match of the Day: “Xhaka was magnificent, Odegaard did his stuff again, but Elneny - for someone that last played before Chelsea was in December - he came in today…dependable, professional, he never lets the team down. He had the most passes today and the most interceptions, he just gets himself in the right position.
“He’s the kind of player, he wants to pass forward. He’s somebody who kept the ball going and kept Arsenal going. He’s the kind of player - and he may leave - you come in when you haven’t played for so long and he’s been magnificent.”
Arteta was also full of praise for Elneny, who has previously had to head out on loan in search of more minutes, and highlighted his contribution both on and off the pitch, regardless of whether he's being selected. On Friday he said: "For what he does when you give him the chance to play and for the things that he does when he doesn’t play. He’s a phenomenal person and a great footballer that sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves."
The win in north London pushes the Gunners back into the top four after Tottenham dropped points later in the day. Arsenal had lost three on the bounce before crucial wins over Chelsea and then United put things back in their hands. Arteta will have a north London derby to prepare for in the coming weeks which could prove season defining.
The Spaniard said: "This changes so quickly, but my belief is that we’re going to give it a real go, we can win football matches, but the margins are very small and we have to be very aware of that. Winning and losing in this league and where we are today, is defined by the small margins."
