Barcelona secured a thrilling 4-2 win over Tottenham at Wembley in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and one player in particular was singled out for praise by Craig Bellamy.
Goals from Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and a double from Lionel Messi secured all three points for the Catalan giants, and naturally given his influence on the game, the Argentine icon was praised by many.
SEE MORE: Video: Ivan Rakitic’s goal for Barcelona vs Tottenham but with absolutely bonkers Dutch commentary
Nevertheless, Bellamy singled out another player for praise after his performance, and that was summer signing Arthur who looked like he had been playing in the Barcelona midfield at this level for years with an assured display for the visitors.
As well as praising the club for their ability to spot talent which can fit in perfectly to the team, Bellamy was also full of praise for the Brazilian ace himself after an impressive outing.
“I look at Arthur, brilliant signing from Gremio, 22 years of age,” Bellamy told Sky Sports. “When Barcelona sign players they do their homework, they know what type of players they’re bringing in – he looks like a player who was born to play for Barcelona.
“He was a bonus. We all know Rakitic, outstanding footballer, [Sergio] Busquets. The core of their team is exceptional.”
Time will tell if that translates into trophies this season as Barca have stumbled over the past week or two in La Liga to suggest that there are still weaknesses in coach Ernesto Valverde’s side.
They’ve impressed in the Champions League to this point as they’ve scored goals for fun against PSV and Tottenham, but as the competition progresses and they reach the knockout stages, they’ll know that they have to improve defensively too in order to go all the way.
Arthur will certainly be hoping to play an important part in that moving forward, and Bellamy is seemingly convinced that he can…