Journalist Kaya Kaynak has now named one Arsenal star who has fallen short of expectations in his last two outings for the club.

Very few Arsenal stars covered themselves in glory against Aston Villa on Sunday. 

Martin Odegaard mesmerised Arsenal fans in the first half, but beyond the Arsenal captain no one else in red and white was really able to step up as the Gunners ultimately slumped to a 2-0 defeat against the Midlands outfit.

The hosts lost the midfield battle in the second half against Aston Villa, allowing the visitors to take control of the game. Mikel Arteta fielded Kai Havertz and Declan Rice in the middle of the park alongside Odegaard, and will be disappointed with how this trio faded after the break. 

Havertz has shone as a striker for Arsenal in recent weeks, so it was a surprise to see the German pulled back into the midfield. Rice was not at his usual level either, and Jorginho was added into the mix late on in effort to regain momentum, but his introduction did not turn the tide of the game in Arsenal’s favour.

What Jorginho has given to Arsenal this season

Jorginho has generally impressed this season, but looked off the pace on Sunday.

The veteran midfielder has perhaps played a more important role for Arsenal this season than many will have expected. Thomas Partey’s persistent injuries created an opportunity for Jorginho to enjoy more regular game time and he rapidly established an effective partnership with Rice.

As things stand, the Italy international is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. There has been a clamour for Arsenal to hand Jorginho a new contract due to the impressive impact he has had this season.

However, against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich before that, the 32-year-old looked to struggle with the pace of the game. Jorginho has built his reputation on his ability to read the game and recycle possession effectively. 

Arteta relies on his technical security, tactical awareness, and composure in congested areas to help ensure that Arsenal are able to dominate games. In his last two outings, though, Jorginho has been bypassed all too easily by opponents and has failed to exert his influence on matches. 

Jorginho form questioned ahead of Bayern Munich clash

Journalist Kaya Kaynak is concerned by this loss of form. Speaking on The Arsenal Beat podcast, the reporter said, “I thought he was quite poor in the first-leg, and I thought he was quite poor when he came on [against Aston Villa] as well. I thought there was a completely uncharacteristic lack of composure to try and play a through-ball that was never on, that exposed Arsenal, and essentially handed Aston Villa the game. If he’s going to have those lapses in concentration in Munich, then it’s not really what you have him in the team for.”

If Jorginho is given the nod to start against Bayern Munich on Wednesday then he will need to be back to his best in order to give the Gunners the control they will need at the Allianz Arena.