Arnold praises Aaron Mooy after fine performance against Kuwait

Australia head coach Graham Arnold has heaped praise on midfielder Aaron Mooy after he orchestrated the proceedings during the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait. The 29-year-old has barely earned any gametime at the club level with Brighton & Hove Albion but that has not hampered his performances with the Socceroos.

In the recent qualifier against Kuwait, Mooy controlled the game with his strong distribution and the opening two goals from Mathew Leckie resulted from precise set-pieces from the former Manchester City man. He capped the performance with a goal of his own during a rampant first-half display and Arnold has undoubtedly been pleased with the midfielder’s impact, he said: "He's great, the passes that he sees and the things that he can do. You just even look at the fact that two of the goals were from great delivery of set-pieces. You know he adds so much to the team and he's a joy to coach."

Mooy had been a wonderful performer for Huddersfield Town over the past three seasons but he decided to make the temporary return to the Premier League this summer after the Terriers were relegated from the top-flight. At Brighton, Mooy has barely featured with just 15 minutes of action in the league but things could change during the forthcoming months with the congested schedule ahead.

Under manager Graham Potter, Brighton have looked much positive with the mindset especially on the road and they have accumulated five points from the opening five matches. They are scheduled to face Newcastle United on the road this weekend and the game offers them with a chance to secure points, considering the Magpies are going through a transition under Steve Bruce. Mooy has a good record against the Tynesiders with two goals from five appearances and it remains to be seen whether Potter is prepared to hand the playmaker with the starting role.