"Last season was fighting for Ballon d’Or" - French pundit predicts 2 reasons behind Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr's poor form ahead of Arsenal clash
Former France international and pundit Emmanuel Petit has spoken on Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr's struggles since failing to win the Ballon d'Or last year. The Brazil international has failed to replicate the performances he churned out for Los Blancos last year that earned him a Ballon d'Or nomination.
Vinicius Jr has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia ahead of the summer despite his below-par displays for his club. The 24-year-old has scored just six goals in 24 appearances since the turn of the year, a tally well below his standards at Real Madrid.
In an interview with GFFN, Petit pointed out that the Brazilian star has found himself distracted by the arrival of Kylian Mbappe as the star of the team. He also pointed at the interest from Saudi Arabia as another distraction that has affected the forward.
"Vinicius Junior last season was fighting for the Ballon d’Or. Where is he actually? He’s not there anymore. Is he distracted by the offer that he received from Saudi Arabia? Probably. Is he distracted by the fact that Mbappe is now the star of the team? Maybe, as well. But I think he is so far from his level, and he’s not the only one in the first 11."
Vinicius Jr has scored seven times in 11 games in the Champions League this season, providing two assists, as well. The forward has registered 32 goal contributions this term, just two less than the 34 he finished with last season. His level has, however, gone down significantly this season, with his influence on games waning.
Real Madrid will hope to have Vinicius Jr at his best when they face Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. The forward has shown his quality in the past, and will be expected to play a starring role in the quarterfinal clash.
Former defender points out that Arsenal ace is not at level of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr
Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has revealed that he does not consider Gunners star Bukayo Saka to be on the level of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. The Englishman enjoyed a fine game against Los Blancos last week, tormenting the left side of their defence at will.
In an interview with Slingo, Gallas praised Saka for his display at the Emirates but stressed that he is not yet as good as Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe. He advised that English people tone down on their praise for the Arsenal man, lest they put him under too much pressure.
"Bukayo Saka had a great performance after his long injury, but I don’t think he’s on the same level of Vinicius Junior or Kylian Mbappe yet. He does have the potential to do it. English people get too excited about their players, but sometimes you need to calm down, don’t put too much pressure on the players like Saka. He has to be a champion and win trophies to be on the same level as Vinicius Jr and Mbappe, who have won the Champions League and World Cup.
"When Vinicius Junior is in his best form, he’s unstoppable. You can’t compare him to Bukayo Saka. Everyone looks into statistics, why don’t we compare their trophies? Vinicius probably deserved the Ballon d’Or at his best, where was ranked 21st, come on. I need to see Saka performing the way he is for a whole season, keeping that same level and he definitely has the potential to do it."
Bukayo Saka will get a chance to show his quality once more when the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal between Arsenal and Real Madrid comes up. The Gunners are 3-0 up after an impressive first leg display, and could reach the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years.