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Aaron Wan-Bissaka ‘arrogance’ makes him better than I was, admits Martin Keown


Wan-Bissaka made more tackles than any other player during the Manchester derby (Picture: Getty)

Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s willingness to invite attackers to take him on shows he is ‘arrogant’ enough to be a top defender, according Martin Keown.

The 22-year-old only arrived at Manchester United in the summer after a £45million move from boyhood club Crystal Palace and was subsequently called up to the England senior squad for the first time, although he is yet to make his debut.

Wan-Bissaka was instrumental in United’s surprise 2-1 victory over champions and rivals Manchester City, keeping the threat of Raheem Sterling to a minimum and stopping the prolific attacker from taking a single shot on target.

He has been one of the few standout players in a difficult campaign for United and three-time Premier League winner Keown singled him out for special praise after yesterday’s Manchester derby.

‘[One-on-one defending] is something I was good at myself,’ Keown told the BBC.

‘This guy is ahead of me and people thought I was good.

‘He can go in either direction and he’s got that arrogance to feel he can say ‘come on, take me on’.’

Martin Keown was one of the Premier League’s very best defenders (Picture: Getty)

He added: ‘He’s a magnificent defender, simply the best one against one defender in the Premier League. He’s patient, he gets [so close] to his opponent.

‘[Raheem] Sterling has got electric pace but it doesn’t matter because he goes in. He takes charge of things.

‘He picks his moment, it’s brilliant defending. His teammates know he is their best defender.’

Former Arsenal defender Keown was not the only one to remark on Wan-Bissaka’s ability either, with his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picking him out for special praise.

Solskjaer said: ‘The one-v-one battles, especially with the full-backs were unbelievable and Aaron especially was top notch.’





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