Sky Sports pundit Tony Cascarino was “amazed” by what he saw from Arsenal duo Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi as they dominated seasoned Manchester United stars at Old Trafford.
The former striker drooled over the performances of the youthful Gunners summer signings in the 2-2 Premier League draw against United on Wednesday night.
“If Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira were playing for Manchester United they would be a much better team,” Cascarino told the Times. “Guendouzi and Torreira are only 19 and 22 respectively yet they were dominating midfield last night when up against Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera, who are seasoned footballers with a huge amount of experience. It was amazing to see.
“The Arsenal pair were always able to get their heads up and make a pass forwards whereas Matic tends to look sideways or backwards when seeking out a team-mate. Herrera is a little bit more attack-minded but is still too negative.”
OPINION
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey are widely regarded as the Arsenal star men, the players capable of doing things no-one else can. They may be the big earners are mega contracts but relatively unsung pair Torreira and Guendouzi showed they are deserving of real acclaim, too, with excellent performances against United. Days after being integral to Arsenal’s derby day triumph over Tottenham, the summer arrivals were paired in central midfield in the absence of Granit Xhaka, with Ramsey pushed forward into an attacking midfield role. They belied their lack of Premier League experience and youth with superb displays that showed up Matic and Herrera, not to mention the substitute pair Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini. The best the Belgian could do to stop the visitors’ tide of possession was to grab Guendouzi’s hair. The Frenchman could do with a trim, but the desperate act of Fellaini spoke volumes of the hair-raising impression made.