Alan Shearer blown away by £7m Arsenal player, he's capable of truly 'big' performances

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has made it into Alan Shearer’s latest Premier League Team of the Week.

The 29-year-old Gunners midfielder has stepped up at just the right time for Mikel Arteta’s charges.

A week ago, Elneny started for Arsenal at Chelsea and delivered a superb performance en route to a 4-2 win.

His ball-winning ability allowed a deep Gunners line to defend well and counter the Blues.

And on Saturday, Elneny once again shone for the north Londoners in the 3-1 win over Manchester United.

The Egypt international man worked tirelessly without the ball and was tidy in possession.

Elneny also did really well to win the ball back for Arsenal before setting up Granit Xhaka’s goal.

And Shearer liked what he saw from the Gunners midfielder, naming him in his latest XI.

“Protected Arsenal’s back four against Manchester United with a big performance,” he wrote on the PL website.

Shearer also named Bukayo Saka in his selection, writing: “Scored another goal and was too hot to handle, giving Man Utd a very tough afternoon.”

Elneny has been at Arsenal since 2016, when he joined the Gunners from Basel in a reported £7million deal.

Although he has rarely been a regular starter, he is a dependable, reliable player with a great attitude.

Several years ago, he looked all-but certain to leave the club permanently.

Elneny had a loan spell at Besiktas in 2019-20, where he excelled.

He then returned to Arsenal where he fought for a place in the squad.

Elneny’s contract runs out in summer. But the way he’s playing, Arteta will certainly be thinking about offering him a new one.