"He was fantastic" – Gary Neville says Arsenal midfielder played like Manchester United great Paul Scholes against Newcastle

Manchester United icon Gary Neville has compared Arsenal midfielder Jorginho to Paul Scholes following the Italian's fine performance in his team's 2-0 Premier League win at Newcastle United on Sunday (7 May).

The Gunners registered a statement victory at St. James' Park in a bid to keep their Premier League title hopes alive. Martin Odegaard scored the opener in the 14th minute before Fabian Schar scored an own goal in the second half.

Jorginho, 31, turned a lot of heads with his composed outing against Eddie Howe's outfit, contributing an assist in the process. He completed 44 passes, created two chances, and won a tackle and six duels during the away clash.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville suggested that Jorginho emulated Scholes in the Gunners' recent Premier League victory at Tyneside. Labeling both the midfielders as unique due to their temperaments, he said:

"The reason why Manchester United players and Pep Guardiola have said Paul Scholes is their favorite player was because in moments, in the hardest atmosphere in a difficult away game, those players are unique. They have the composure, the balance to get the team playing. That's what Jorginho reminded me of – he was fantastic."

Sharing his thoughts on Mikel Arteta's side, Neville continued:

"They've really gone up in my estimations, Arsenal, from where they were in the last few weeks because people said they lost their form. I expected them to fall but they didn't. Those Manchester City players will go to bed, not panicking, but it's a little dig in the ribs. They will have wanted a cushion going into the Real Madrid game."

Arsenal are currently in second spot in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 81 points from 35 matches, one point behind Manchester City, who have a game in hand. They are set to host in-form Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (14 May).

Arsenal and Manchester United target expected to move this summer

In his Caught Offside column, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shed light on Ajax star Mohammed Kudus' future amid reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal. He wrote:

"It looks like an open situation for Mohammed Kudus; things could happen with him this summer. I'm not aware of anything concrete at this stage with either Manchester United or Arsenal, but he always had the dream to play in Premier League. So, the situation will be an interesting one to watch in the summer transfer window."

Kudus, 22, has emerged as one of the top breakout stars in Europe following his fine outings for Ajax this season. He has scored 18 goals and contributed five assists in 39 appearances across all competitions for his club so far.

According to Football Insider, Kudus is interested in facilitating a potential reunion with his former boss Erik ten Hag. Manchester United are said to have an upper hand over the Gunners in their pursuit of the £48 million-rated attacker.