Dane Murray’s injury before the start of Celtic’s clash at Aberdeen on Wednesday night opened the door for Benjamin Arthur to earn his first start.
It was the obvious change for Martin O’Neill after Murray pulled up in the warm-up, with Auston Trusty suspended; it allowed Arthur to start alongside Liam Scales at the heart of the defence.
The January loan signing from Brentford looked at home, and he should be pretty pleased with what he produced on the night, as Chris Sutton called it a ‘dominant’ display from the 20-year-old during Celtic’s 2-1 win at Pittodrie.
“He did the basics really well, and even at the end, when Aberdeen had a couple of corners and balls into the box,” said Sutton.
“I know Martin O’Neill will be delighted with him, because he is always big on if balls are going into the box, you want people who are dominant in the air.”
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What did you make of Benjamin Arthur’s performance?
Give your rating, and your reason behind it in the comments section!
What did Chris Sutton say about Benjamin Arthur’s performance for Celtic’s win at Aberdeen
Celtic travel to Rangers for the second time this weekend, and Sutton is wondering whether Arthur keeps his place in the XI, as he stated on Sky Sports Football (04/03/26).
Trusty returns from suspension, so he would be the obvious player O’Neill would turn to, but Arthur was getting his flowers for staking his claim against the Dons.
What will also be music to Arthur’s ears is the fact that Sutton compared him to his former Celtic teammate Bobo Baldé, who was as good as they came during that dominant period after the turn of the century.
“I am really pleased for him,” said Sutton. “You have to be ready. It’s a lesson for everyone, really.
“But to be thrown in, he wouldn’t have had the nerves last night, had he known he was playing, maybe he would have been thinking about it all night, but he was ready.
“He did the basics really well, and even at the end, when Aberdeen had a couple of corners and balls into the box. I know Martin O’Neill will be delighted with him, because he is always big on if balls are going into the box, you want people who are dominant in the air.
“That’s why Martin signed Bobo Baldé all those years ago. Somebody who was superb at that.
“Look, it’s one game, but it’s an important performance from Arthur. He looked very strong. It will be an interesting decision now on Sunday for Martin.”
What do the stats say about Arthur’s performance in his first Celtic start?
Arthur made 19 defensive contributions during the game against Aberdeen, in comparison to Liam Scales, who made ten.
Not forgetting it was Scales who committed the penalty, whilst the young kid next to him was the one who looked calm and composed throughout the match.
In every defensive category you can think of, Arthur either matched what Scales did or bettered him.
- Minutes played: 90
- Tackles won: 2 (Scales= 1)
- Interceptions: 2 (Scales= 2)
- Clearances: 12 (Scales= 5)
- Blocked shots: 2 (Scales= 1)
- Recoveries: 4 (Scales=4)
- Ground duels won: 3 (Scales=3)
- Aerial duels won: 4 (Scales=4)
- Sofascore rating: 7.7 (Scales=7.2)
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