Former Arsenal man has showered praises on Mikel Arteta’s team, singling out Eddie Nketiah and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
The Gunners are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to an emphatic 2 – 0 win over fierce North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Saturday.
Several players stood out, including the usual names, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard. However, Sagna, who spent seven years at Arsenal and played alongside Arteta before making the switch to Manchester City, singled out striker Nketiah and Ramsdale from the game for special praise.
Nketiah has deputised for Gabriel Jesus since the league resumed after the 2022 World Cup break. In that time, he has contributed four goals as Arsenal continue to hold fast at the top of the league. Ramsdale is also showing his class, pulling all the stops to help Arsenal’s chances.
Both players were great once again against Spurs and Sagna spoke highly of them.
“I think we need to give credit to Eddie Nketiah. His style is different to other strikers, he’s probably not as tall as other strikers, maybe not as skilful but he is doing a great job,” Sagna said of Nketiah.
“No one expected him to be in the starting line up for so long and we can trust him, we have to trust him. Sometimes you need more games to score more goals and be more clinical, but he is doing well and can do even better.
“He needs time. He’s been on loan a lot, he’s been criticised and people have to stop criticising and get behind him before looking elsewhere.
“Confidence is a big thing in football and I’m sure if he feels the love, rather than critics, it could help him a lot. Every time he plays he is playing with that pressure.
“If he doesn’t score he gets critics saying “we don’t have a striker” but you should appreciate the effort he puts in and the way he played against Spurs. He didn’t lose the ball in the first half, he won many free kicks and was an option for the defenders.
“Of course people will judge his efficiency in the box, but how easy does he make the defenders’ lives when they are under pressure because his teammates always manage to find him? He’s not tall but he gets in between the lines, plays with others and keeps the ball.”
Of Ramsdale, Sagna said: “Ramsdale had a terrific game – he made some vital saves at key moments.
“The save against Son just after Arsenal had scored was huge and every time he was called into action and needed to make a presence for himself he did it.
“He made the defence feel more secure. This is when it’s important to have a good goalkeeper – a good keeper can give you 10-15 points a season. It was a statement from him.”
