At a Glance:
Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday night.
Tottenham Hotspur could be relegated from the top-flight on Sunday.
Despite this, Roberto De Zerbi has made a bold claim about one of his players, compared to one of the Gunners’ key stars.
As Arsenal gear up to celebrate being crowned Premier League champions on Sunday afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur will be preparing for their final-day relegation dogfight.
The Gunners won the title on Tuesday night when Manchester City failed to beat Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. This ended the North Londoners’ 22-year wait for a top-flight title, and they’ll now lift the iconic Premier League trophy after their match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Meanwhile, Spurs face Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, knowing that a defeat could see them lose their top-flight status. Lose to the Toffees, and they’ll be relegated from the Premier League if West Ham are able to beat Leeds at the London Stadium.
Despite the drastic difference in fortunes this season, Roberto De Zerbi has made a wild claim about one of his players, which hasn’t gone down well amongst Gunners supporters.
Roberto De Zerbi says Micky van de Ven is better than Gabriel Magalhaes
While Tottenham have endured a dismal season, they still have a handful of excellent players who aren’t deserving of a relegation battle. One of these is centre-back Micky van de Ven, who’s been plagued by injury issues over the last few years.
The Dutchman is undoubtedly a good player who could easily be plying his trade at a much more successful club, although Spurs boss De Zerbi perhaps overrates the defender. Speaking in his press conference on Friday afternoon, the Italian described Van de Ven as the ‘best left centre-back in the Premier League’, essentially suggesting he believes him to be better than Gabriel Magalhaes.
“We took a lot of time [with Van de Ven],” he said.
“I think he suffered maybe too much for the situation of Tottenham this season. He’s a sensitive guy. He’s a good guy. In my time, I think he played amazing.
“He’s the best left centre-back in the Premier League.”
Arsenal fans react to Roberto De Zerbi’s comments
It’s fair to say Arsenal fans don’t agree with De Zerbi’s verdict on Van de Ven, and given Gabriel’s excellence over the last few seasons, they are right to find this take egregious. While the Tottenham manager may merely be attempting to boost his defender’s confidence, Gunners supporters took to social media to voice how amusing they found the claim.
One fan wrote on X: “Hahahaha. Keep him and see how you get on next season.”
Another added: “He’ll be the best left centre back in the championship too.”
Meanwhile, one fan wrote: “Has he ever watched Gabriel?”
Finally, another supporter added: “He said centre back and realised he was being ridiculous because of [William] Saliba and Gabriel, and then decided left centre back because it’s just a little less ridiculous.”
Ultimately, Van de Ven may well end this season as a Championship player, while Gabriel will end it a Premier League winner, and possibly a Champions League winner. That probably tells you everything you need to know.