A section of the Arsenal supporters hailed the performance of Ainsley Maitland-Niles during the final stages of the 1-0 away league win at Watford.
The Gunners went into the game with a dreadful away run which include just one league win in 2019, but their chances of winning were boosted after Troy Deeney’s was sent off shortly after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring in bizarre fashion in the 10th minute.
Still, Unai Emery’s side struggled to kill the game off with a second goal due to some poor finishing from Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and they were eventually to thank Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who came off the bench late on to make a crucial impact.
With the game entering the final 10 minutes, it appeared that Andre Gray was on course to find the leveller for the Hornets after rounding Bernd Leno, but Maitland-Niles came up with a stunning block to deny a clear-cut goal for the hosts.
That impact certainly impressed a section of the Gunners faithful, who expressed their delight through Twitter. Here are some of the best tweets regarding Maitland-Niles’ late cameo….
Maitland-Niles. That was incredible. Fantastic defending.
— Wayne (@WaynesWorld20_) April 15, 2019
Maitland Niles you absolute legend.
— Spanish Gooner (@elspanishgooner) April 15, 2019
I just love Maitland-Niles! He's so calm and collected for his age. And even when he makes a mistake, he runs like a rocket to recover. That block he made was crucial when they went past Leno. #WATARS #COYG pic.twitter.com/YqWInouX7j
— ArsenalArena (@ArsenalArena) April 15, 2019
Maitland-Niles’ block really was crucial tonight. He was newly introduced to the game & the players around him weren’t performing particularly well, but he kept his head & prevented an almost certain goal. He’s been superb since Bellerín’s injury. Massive prospect.
— Patrick Timmons (@PatrickTimmons1) April 15, 2019
https://twitter.com/ArsenalMindset/status/1117889492814139392
Maitland-Niles has received an extended run across all competitions for Arsenal this year courtesy of Hector Bellerin’s season-ending injury.
In this period, there have been occasions including the recent away trip at Everton, where he has struggled to cope with the impending threat but on his day, he has proved a worthy replacement for the Spaniard.
Maitland-Niles still needs to improve on the attacking prospect of his game, but he has made a good impact on the defensive scale, and the superb last-ditch challenge at Watford may yet prove the difference maker in the club’s quest for the top four this term.
With the victory over the Hornets, Arsenal are back into the fourth spot after leapfrogging Chelsea on goal difference. The focus now shifts to the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final at Napoli with a two-goal advantage in hand.
