Arsenal legend Ian Wright has lavished praise on Super Eagles defender Ola Aina, describing his performance against Liverpool as one of the finest individual displays in the Premier League this season.
Aina’s exceptional showing played a pivotal role in Nottingham Forest’s historic 1-0 victory at Anfield, marking their first win there in a staggering 65 years.
The Nigerian international showcased his versatility, excelling both defensively and offensively throughout the match. Aina’s primary assignment was to contain the threat of Liverpool’s in-form Colombian forward, Luis Diaz.
Despite Diaz’s impressive record of three goals and one assist in his first three league games (including a brace against Manchester United before the international break), Aina effectively nullified his impact. Such was Aina’s dominance that Diaz found himself substituted off in the 61st minute, having been unable to make any significant contributions.
Aina’s defensive masterclass didn’t stop there. He continued to frustrate Liverpool’s attack even after Cody Gakpo replaced Diaz, maintaining a firm grip on the game.
The Super Eagles defender successfully thwarted all three of Diaz’s attempted dribbles while completing two of his own against the Liverpool forward. Aina also forced Diaz to relinquish possession five times and outperformed him in terms of progressive passes.
Speaking on the Wrighty House Podcast, Ian Wright not only extolled Aina’s performance but also took time to commend the overall defensive solidity demonstrated by Nottingham Forest, which proved crucial in securing their landmark victory.
“Ola Aina at right-back was arguably one of the best performances I’ve seen this season, he was excellent. You’re thinking to yourself at Liverpool, okay, it’s only going to be a matter of time before Liverpool gets it going to break them down but they never got it going.”
The victory was Forest’s second of the new season. They are unbeaten so far in their first four league games and Aina has been instrumental in their impressive defensive setup.