Keith Andrews admits he has been impressed by two Arsenal players even though they rarely start
Arsenal take on Keith Andrews’ Brentford in the Premier League after their frustrating draw against Chelsea.
The Gunners played large parts of the game at Stamford Bridge against 10 men, and you could see from the reactions of the players after full-time that they were frustrated with the result.
What caused an imbalance in Arsenal’s lineup on Sunday was that they were without their two first-choice central defenders – William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera started the game instead, and Andrews has now delivered his verdict on the duo ahead of the game on Wednesday night.
Brentford are also set-piece masters. Can Arsenal cope?
Arsenal conceded a set-piece against Chelsea, can the Gunners get the better of Brentford without Gabriel and William Saliba?
Set-piece goals scored:
Set-piece goals conceded:
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Keith Andrews impressed by Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera
Arsenal signed both Hincapie and Mosquera in the summer transfer window.
The former was brought in on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, while the Spaniard was signed from Valencia before the season began.
Mosquera has proved to be a tremendous signing so far, while Hincapie has also impressed in the famous red and white, especially in the North London Derby.
However, many Arsenal fans felt that the two defenders were shaky against Chelsea in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
But Brentford boss Andrews thought otherwise.
When asked about Hincapie and Mosquera, he said, as relayed on HaytersTV: “I mean, they did particularly well on Sunday against Chelsea.
“Obviously, they are two players that have been recruited and they (Arsenal) feel are going to be big players for them, and I thought they slotted in really well.
“The two players you mention, Gabriel and Saliba, have been immense, haven’t they, for a good couple of years and a very, very good partnership. We’ll see what their team brings.”
Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal fans must understand one thing about Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie
Mosquera and Hincapie did have their nervous moments against Chelsea in the first half, but both players grew in confidence as the game went on.
Their problems early on are understandable when you look at their age – the Spaniard is 21, while the Leverkusen loanee is 23.
Arsenal fans are right to demand top-class performances from them, but they also need to understand that this is their first season in the Premier League.
That is why they have rarely started this term – Mosquera has got the nod just seven times, while Hincapie only has three starts to his name.
Mistakes will happen, but with time, we expect the young pair to become just as good as Arsenal’s first-choice duo.
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