Mathieu Flamini’s bravura performances for Arsenal have prompted Kolo Toure to uncork some effervescent compliments, praising him as a marathon runner, working selflessly to allow Fabregas to shine. Flamini seems to have gone from zero to hero, with Wenger prepared to let him go as recently as last summer.
Toure said:
“He does such a huge job in midfield. Thanks to him, in defence we are rarely put in trouble. He is a real marathon runner, he runs everywhere. He has a fantastic heart and fights for everyone.”
Toure added that they have a special nickname for him too. Toure said:
“Having such a player in your team is just great. He is involved in any clash, but only for the good of the team. That is why we call him Gattuso,”
Those teams sniffing around the Frenchman last summer must be kicking themselves now, although Gilberto Silva must wonder how he’s gone from stand-in captain and key cog in midfield to a regular joe sitting on the bench in the space of a few months. But between Fabregas, Denilson, Gilberto, Flamini, Diarra and Diaby Arsene Wenger seems to have prepared the Arsenal engine room for the next decade.