‘Superb’ Italy international Jorginho has changed his fortunes at Arsenal

Rome: Italy midfielder Jorginho has turned his fortunes around at the Emirates Stadium in the second half of the campaign, starting six Premier League matches out of the last 11.

Arteta has been increasingly relying on the experienced midfielder, especially over the last two months and has started him five times in the most recent six Arsenal outings.

Jorginho contributed to a 3-0 win over Brighton on Saturday with an assist for Kai Havertz and Arteta was full of praise for the 32-year-old after the match.

“He was superb,” the Spanish coach said at a press conference as quoted by Football London.

“I don’t think anyone expected him to be running into those areas with the ball to assist Kai, but his leadership, his intelligence, and the quality he delivers makes everyone better. He and Dec [Rice] marking in the middle were outstanding.”

What makes Jorginho’s journey even more special this season is the fact that he had started only four times in the opening 20 Premier League matches this term.

The regular playing time he’s getting at Arsenal has helped Jorginho on the national team front too. The Brazil-born midfielder was not called up by Spalletti in September and October but returned to the squad in November and March, starting three games from four with La Nazionale.