Former Arsenal star makes shock pick for best Premier League right-back
Chelsea's Malo Gusto has been named as the Premier League's best right-back by ex-Arsenal man Bacary Sagna - who has snubbed some of the more established players in that position
by Samuel Meade · The MirrorBacary Sagna believes Malo Gusto is currently the best right-back in the Premier League - overlooking to the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker.
The Chelsea defender joined from Lyon last summer and has continued to excel, performing well in a team that has been inconsistent throughout his time at Stamford Bridge.
The ex-Arsenal man has praised numerous areas of Gusto's game and believes he can become the top flight's premier right-back. That would rank him ahead of Alexander-Arnold, who continues to be a hugely creative influence for Liverpool, and Ben White who also has received notable plaudits.
Walker has long been an outstanding performer, seen by some as the best right-back in Premier League history, but he has endured a dip in form this year. As a result Sagna believes Chelsea may currently have the best player in that position.
He told Mega Dice: "At the minute, I really like Malo Gusto at Chelsea. I think he has the potential to become the best right back in the Premier League. He’s been excellent this season. Gusto is so energetic. He's good one-on-one; he's dynamic. His decision-making regarding defensive and offensive positioning is really good.
"I think he's one to watch. I've been watching him since he was at Lyon. He's doing well with Chelsea, and he's still young. You can rely on him to do the job. Of course, there are other great right backs in the Premier League, players that have been in the game for a long time, but at the moment, he’s one of the best in the league."
Chelsea have only kept two clean sheets this term, but Gusto has been an impressive influence in the final third. He's also been a regular in a team that have become known for making numerous changes, largely due to their squad depth.
Enzo Maresca is particularly pleased with his right-back and said in October: “Fantastic player. I’m very happy with Malo. He's giving us many things. He's helping the process in the way we want to play a lot. He's doing very, very well. For the age he has, he is top”.
Gusto has been a regular at right-back, but that is partly owing to Reece James' injury. The academy graduate has returned to the starting XI, but has been deployed at left-back, which has allowed the Frenchman to retain his spot in the backline.
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