Torreira the best since Vieira!
MARTIN KEOWN ON ARSENAL’S UNLIKELY HERO
HE may stand just 5ft 5in tall but that was a massive performance from Lucas Torreira. It was the best all-round midfield display I have seen in an Arsenal shirt since Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva used to run the show. Torreira and Vieira could not be more different in terms of size and stature but their drive and determination is exactly the same. From the first whistle the Uruguayan controlled the midfield. He was utterly fearless, demanding the ball at all times, always eager to snap into tackles and snuff out danger. His tireless running gave Arsenal an extra body all over the pitch. You got the sense that if he could, he would happily do everyone else’s job! Dele Alli was magnificent against Chelsea last week, silencing Jorginho and stopping them from playing. Yesterday he could not live with Torreira. The 22-year-old made the midfield his own. Going forwards, Torreira also excelled. He reads the game exceptionally and when he gets on the ball, he uses it intelligently to feed the quality at the top of the team. His emphatic goal proves he is a mean finisher, too. These derbies are where fan favourites are forged. It was in this fixture at White Hart Lane in 2001 that Sol Campbell convinced me that he would be an Arsenal great. He, too, was fearless. I remember one moment when we went to challenge the same opponent and virtually tackled each other. That was how determined we were. This victory feels like a watershed moment for Unai Emery. From day one, his sole aim has been to get these Arsenal players back to boiling point. He recognises that to win titles, you need to squeeze every drop of tenacity and passion from the squad. Those are the qualities that every successful Arsenal team has possessed. In Torreira, Emery has a little dynamo on the pitch who sets the standard. After three years in which Arsenal have slipped behind their rivals, this win was all about biting back. It is Torreira who gives them that bite.