Darren Bent believes Arsenal star would 'have been so much better' than Chelsea star Moises Caicedo in EFL Cup final against Liverpool

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward Darren Bent has suggested that Arsenal's Jorginho could have been more effective than Chelsea's Moises Caicedo in their recent EFL Cup final loss to Liverpool.

The Blues, who are currently 11th with 35 points from 25 Premier League matches, slumped to their sixth successive domestic cup final loss on Sunday (February 25). Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk headed Kostas Tsimikas' 118th-minute corner in to win the summit clash.

Caicedo, meanwhile, started the EFL Cup final in a midfield double pivot alongside Enzo Fernandez in a 4-2-3-1 setup. The £115 million summer arrival completed 64 of 68 passes, and won four of seven tackles and 11 of 15 duels in his team's latest match against Liverpool.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent shared his thoughts on the Ecuadorian and claimed that Jorginho could have performed better in Chelsea's clash against Liverpool. He said (h/t HITC):

"They're not bad players because Liverpool wanted the same players. If you're a Chelsea fan and you're watching that yesterday – I know they wanted Jorginho out, but he'd have been so much better in that situation than Caicedo."

Sharing further thoughts on the 32-year-old Gunners star, Bent added:

"What Jorginho does better than anyone is control the pace of the game. Even Mateo Kovacic, they let Kovacic go to Manchester City – you can't tell me that Kovacic and Jorginho aren't better than Caicedo and Enzo?"

Jorginho, who left the Blues to join Arsenal for around £12 million in January 2023, has made 41 appearances for his club so far. He has scored once and laid out two assists in 23 starts for the north London outfit.

Journalist reveals Chelsea and PSG target could join Arsenal ahead of next campaign

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that the Gunners are still in the race to sign Napoli's Victor Osimhen. He said:

"We still can't rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen. It's also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe's departure."

Revealing the Nigerian attacker's wage demands, Jacobs continued:

"I'm still told by sources that Osimhen's priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which [the three clubs] would all be happy to pay."

Osimhen, 25, rose to fame owing to his world-class exploits for Napoli last season. He guided his team to their first Serie A title in 33 years, contributing 31 goals in 39 matches across competitions along the way.

So far this campaign, the Arsenal and Chelsea target has struggled due to Napoli's form and his injuries. He has scored 10 times in 20 overall appearances, recording three assists for Francesco Calzona's outfit.