Following
Arsenal’s emphatic 4-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday, Arsenal manager Arsene
Wenger praised midfielder Tomáš Rosicky.
The French manager also told reporters that Rosicky will be staying with
the team behind the current season.
Wenger stated, “Tomáš Rosicky will
stay. We have an agreement with him and
it will come out soon. I am absolutely
adamant he has to stay at the club."
The
33-year-old Rosicky has enjoyed a very solid season for the Gunners this
campaign. While Rosicky has only tallied
two goals so far this season, his passing, work rate, and vision have all been
outstanding. At 33, Rosicky is Arsenal’s
oldest player on the roster; however, there isn’t any other player in the squad
that works harder than the Czech international.
Wenger
also spoke to Arsenal.com after the
Sunderland match about Rosicky. Wenger said of the midfielder, "He
is a great accelerator of the game. He
always makes things happen, not with individual dribbling but with individual
acceleration and his passing. I think
when he arrived here he was less of a tactical player and more the 'Mozart'
from Prague - he was purely a creative, offensive player. Today he is a real organizer on the pitch; I
like to have him in the team because he gives a real structure to our
team."
Gunner
fans should be delighted with the news of Rosicky staying on board with the
team. Fellow teammates will also be
happy to hear news of the midfielder signing a new contract extension. Just last month, Rosicky’s midfield partner
Mesut Özil gave Rosicky some very high praise.
Özil told Arsenal.com, "In my opinion Tomáš belongs to the best
midfielders in the Premier League.”
After
securing Rosicky, Arsenal brass should next turn their attention to giving
defender Bacary Sagna a new deal. Sagna,
31, has been one of the most reliable and consistent right backs in the Premier
League this season (and also for the last few seasons). Sagna’s current contract runs out at season’s
end, and Wenger should do what it takes to re-sign the France international.
Not
only is Sagna one of the best right backs in England, but he has also proven to
be able to provide cover at the center back position as well. Sagna featured at three different defensive
positions in the 4-1 triumph on Saturday.
