Brentford might have lost two-thirds of that much-vaunted ‘BMW’ frontline over the summer, but the V8 engine at the heart of Thomas Frank’s team is chugging away as efficiently as ever.
Josh DaSilva is the sort of footballer who stands out a mile in those two-minute highlight packages; his dainty left-foot and slaloming stride immediately catching the eye.
But, when watching the England U21 international run rings around Newcastle United in Tuesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final, it is clear to see that DaSilva is more than the archetypal ‘highlight reel footballer’.
The London-born 22-year-old was one of the few players who appeared to possess bona fide Premier League quality last night, scoring the only goal of the game with a stylish volley from his trusty left boot.
How Arsenal could do with a dynamic, skilful, innovative midfielder like DaSilva.
That his swaggering Man of the Match display came just hours before Manchester City deepened the gloom at the Emirates felt like another case of salt seasoning the gaping wounds covering Mikel Arteta’s crisis-ridden team from head to toe.
“He’s made watching this game so worthwhile, so much natural talent and skill,” former Liverpool and Tottenham star Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports (22 December, 6pm).
“Newcastle players can’t get near him. So good! Magnificent. This was a player who left Arsenal, gone to Brentford, and he’s been a revelation.”
It may be time to add DaSilva to Serge Gnabry, Yunus Musah, Eberechi Eze and Ismael Bennaccer in a growing list of supremely talented footballers Arsenal will wish they had kept hold of.
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