Report: Arteta very impressed by £5m Arsenal player’s passing vs United, he was applauding it on the sidelines

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Mo Elneny has stepped up for Arsenal during their injury crisis and helped Mikel Arteta get the top four chase back on track.

Huge wins against Chelsea and Manchester United have been secured and now it looks like a straight battle with Tottenham for fourth place.

Elneny may lack the ambition on the ball of a Thomas Partey, but he keeps it simple and efficient, and that is something that the Athletic claim really impressed Arteta on Saturday.

Their report reads: “Elneny’s willingness to receive the ball deep, often facing his own goal, is one of his more attractive qualities. He does not possess Partey’s ability to slip away from his marker and turn defence into attack, but he is secure on the ball.

“Take this example: in the 17th minute, Elneny found space to provide Ramsdale with a simple passing option. Always on the move, Elneny then found space again to offer Ramsdale another simple pass.

“Granted more room to move this time, he turned away upfield and played a sideways pass to Xhaka. It was unspectacular — conservative even — but served its purpose and took four opposing players out of the game.

“Elneny doesn’t do complicated things, but he does simple things well. On the sideline, Arteta spun away and applauded: this is what he wanted.”

Elneny looked bound for the Arsenal exit door and until these two recent performances, it is likely that would not have caused much fuss.

Now, he has made his future a talking point again and underlined that the £5 million (BBC) man could be a useful, reliable squad member, even in the biggest games.

That means that there is a decision to make but for now, the focus has to be on whether or not Arsenal will be in the Champions League next season.