Fulham CB Bassey's physical battle with Arsenal striker catches attention of Liverpool legend

Liverpool legend Jamie Redknapp was impressed by the physical battle between Calvin Bassey and Viktor Gyokeres during Fulham's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in a Premier League encounter at Craven Cottage on Saturday evening.

Having just returned from international duty with Nigeria, Bassey was rested for much of the match, starting on the bench for the first time this season after participating in only one training session with the squad.

With eight minutes of normal time remaining, Fulham manager Marco Silva introduced the defender in place of Jorge Cuenca as the Cottagers searched desperately for an equaliser.

Despite his limited time on the pitch, Bassey made an immediate impact at the back. 

He recorded four clearances, a tally bettered only by Gabriel Magalhães (9), Jorge Cuenca (8) and Timothy Castagne (5).

Speaking after the game, Redknapp commended the intensity of the duel between Bassey and Gyokeres, noting how the Nigerian stood his ground against the Swedish striker, who once again failed to find the net, extending his goalless run to six matches in all competitions.

"He (Gyokeres) is going to open up spaces because he will occupy defenders," Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports.

"You can see there was a good couple of battles there with Jorge Cuenca and then Bassey when he came on.

"He will add something to the team. He needs goals or assists because that then shuts everybody up.”

Bassey was named Fulham's Player of the Season for 2024–25 following a string of impressive performances at the heart of the defence.

On the international stage, he was the only Nigerian player to complete every minute of their 2026 World Cup qualifying matches. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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