While Mario Balotelli takes the headlines, another maverick will be looking to win the plaudits at Liverpool on Saturday. Philip Buckingham hears how Hull City's Hatem Ben Arfa is going from strength to strength.
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If Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is beginning to regret his decision to sign Mario Balotelli this summer, Steve Bruce insists he could not be happier with his own so-called maverick. Seven weeks after arriving on a season-long loan from Newcastle United, Hatem Ben Arfa made his full Premier League debut for Hull City in last weekend's 2-2 draw at Arsenal. The Frenchman's trademark magic was seldom seen at the Emirates but a disciplined performance saw him deliver all Bruce asked for. And that continued an encouraging pattern. Despite arriving at the KC Stadium with a reputation for poor fitness and disobedience, Ben Arfa is yet to give Bruce a single problem. As well as shedding half a stone through a tailor-made fitness programme, the mercurial winger is known to have settled in well with his new team-mates. So much for the baggage that convinced Alan Pardew that Ben Arfa's time on Tyneside was up. Bruce said: "I can only go off the six or seven weeks we've been together but, of course, when we signed him there was all these horror stories that surrounded him. "In the six weeks he's been here he's worked very, very hard. Last week at Arsenal he was as disciplined as anyone on the pitch. To go and do the job he did was terrific. "So far, touch wood, I can only say good things. He's lost weight, he's been on a training programme, he's back in the afternoons, he's done extra. He's done everything he possibly can. I hope that continues." Ben Arfa will get that chance again at Anfield on Saturday afternoon. In the absence of Nikica Jelavic, missing for up to six weeks with a knee injury, the 27-year-old is set to partner Abel Hernandez in the City attack. Bruce was impressed by Ben Arfa's attitude last weekend and added: "We didn't see a lot of him in attacking areas because he spent most of his energies working for the team. "We changed it after 15 minutes with him more on the left, but in that role he helped the team and helped us get a result. I felt he did really well and he's in the driving seat now to hold on to the position." Not that Ben Arfa will be the man courting attention at Anfield. That honour will belong entirely to Balotelli. The £16m striker, signed from AC Milan this summer, has become the fall guy for Liverpool's stuttering start to the season and created yet another stir when swapping shirts with Real Madrid's Pepe at half-time of Wednesday night's 3-0 loss in the Champions League. It remains to be seen if City will face Balotelli when arriving on Merseyside, but Bruce believes players of his ilk need to be handled with care. "Of course," he said. "Eric Cantona was supposed to be a troublemaker everywhere he went but once you bring a maverick in, you have to work with them. "I had one at Birmingham in Christophe Dugarry. He had the best ability in a player I've ever signed but he was a bit different. "When they've got that maverick in them, you have to handle them differently. They are not the norm. "You make that decision as a manager the minute you bring them in. How you manage them today is the biggest challenge we all face. "The earning power of these young lads is quite remarkable so they all take a bit of managing. "Because he's different, he's an easy target for the media. He's not everyone's cup of tea but there's no doubt he's got exceptional ability. "If he plays against us, we're going to have to be at our best. I'm sure he'll come good with time."