Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes that Antonio Rudiger is very similar to his former teammate Martin Keown. Rudiger has gained a reputation for being an aggressive and no-nonsense defender in the Premier League. He has thrived under Thomas Tuchel and has grown into one of the most consistent defenders in the league. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season with a number of big clubs interested in signing him.
“This guy is a survivor. Since Tuchel has been the manager he’s been one of the top defenders in world football.” Emmanuel Petit said about Antonio Rudiger. “He reminds me of the crazy defenders I used to play with back in the day like Martin Keown. Those types of guys were always really tough on other players, and playing against them was both a physical and mental battle because they could make you feel bad on the pitch.”
“I think Rudiger is similar, and it must be very tough to be on the pitch with him because you can disappear very quickly. He always plays the ball but he also plays the players and strikers know that and it can be intimidating,” he added. “Sometimes he tries to destroy strikers, and I don’t really like that side of his game. But for me, the priority of a defender is to scare strikers. People might not understand that but it’s true, you have to scare them to try and stop them from scoring goals. For me, Rudiger is one of the hardest defenders in the world.”
