Jhon Arias impresses Abel Ferreira at Palmeiras, who says the forward makes coaches better | OneFootball

Jhon Arias has moved from early-season understudy to undisputed starter for Palmeiras, as reported by Globo.com. The 28-year-old Colombian now stands out for his defensive edge as much as his attacking impact.

He leads Palmeiras for tackles in the Brasileirão with 41 in 16 matches, and also tops the team’s Copa do Brasil numbers with eight. Up to the 21st round, he ranks second in the league overall, behind Nicolás Acevedo’s 48 for Bahia. Acevedo is a midfielder and has three more appearances than Arias.

In attack, Arias is third among Palmeiras’ scorers on eight, behind Flaco with 16 and Ramón Sosa with nine, and he is seventh for assists with three.

One clear example of his ball-winning came in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil last 16 against Fortaleza, when a recovery on the left launched Mauricio’s goal.

After reaching the quarter-finals, Abel Ferreira said Arias is the kind of player who makes any coach better, praising his readiness to run back and help the team rather than focus only on the front end.

A switch to three centre-backs has given Arias greater freedom. Since returning from the World Cup with Colombia, he has looked sharper and is firmly established in Abel Ferreira’s line-up for the second half of the season.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”