Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his delight as he praised Cristhian Mosquera for what he called a “superb” display in Arsenal’s 3–1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich on November 26, 2025.
The young defender, who slotted in at left centre-back because Gabriel Magalhães was unavailable due to an injury, looked strangely calm for such a high-pressure night.
Arteta highlighted his maturity, saying Mosquera was really good, as highlighted by sports expert Fabrizio Romano via his official X account, and also pointed out his growing value to the squad thanks to his ability to play multiple defensive roles.
Fabrizio tweeted:
Arteta: Mosquera has been superb together with Saliba. That’s a good thing that we have Mosquera, and he can play in different positions.
Hincapié did fantastic in the Derby and Mosquera vs Bayern. That’s great.
Softfootball understands that Mosquera didn’t just defend well; he showed real confidence stepping forward too. He even came close to scoring from a Declan Rice free kick, and most player ratings had him sitting around a solid 7/10 rating, the kind of steady performance coaches love.
His partnership with William Saliba helped keep Harry Kane unusually quiet, which is never a small thing in a Champions League match.
Arteta also took a moment to explain why Piero Hincapié, who had been brilliant in the 4–1 North London derby win over Spurs just a few days earlier, didn’t start this one. According to the manager, Hincapié was exhausted after returning from Ecuador duty, where he played two full matches in tough conditions.
This whole situation kind of shows how Arsenal’s squad depth has quietly improved. Hincapié is widely viewed as the long-term left-sided option in defence, but Mosquera has forced himself into the conversation by performing confidently on either side of the backline.
He stepped in earlier this season for Saliba and now for Gabriel, without the team missing a beat, a sign of real development.
Arteta insisted there’s no rivalry, only healthy competition, with both defenders offering different strengths. For Arsenal, especially during a busy run of fixtures, that sort of depth might be the thing that keeps their Champions League push on track.
