When Wenger bought Arteta in the final hours of the summer transfer window it was met with mixed feelings from the majority of Arsenal fans. A good signing yes, but to be signed for £10m at the age of twenty-nine when he had a history of injury problems, and signed without a medical. It wasn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination. In fact for many fans that wanted more of a marquee signing it was somewhat of a disappointment. However there aren’t many on the red side of north London who aren’t now grateful for the presence of the uncapped Spaniard in their side.
Arteta has been praised for his consistently decent performances and the air of calm that he has brought to a team that was floundering a little when he arrived. Clearly Arsenal fans are warming to Mikel, why wouldn’t they after performances like his against City at (middle)Eastlands last weekend. I must admit however that until recently I hadn’t realised quite how good he has been for Arsenal. The role he plays is an unassuming one, a role where only truly exceptional performances will be noticed and much of his good work will go largely unnoticed.
For example, his role in midfield seems to be largely to keep the ball ticking over, to provide an outlet for the defenders and provide a link between the defensive side to the team and the more attacking element; bearing this in mind consider the fact that he has only been caught in possession fourteen times all season. The level of consistency this would be an asset for any team, but particularly for Arsenal who can become nervy towards the end of their games when their lead is narrow.
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The Spaniard also has the highest average number of passes per game out of all midfielders in the Premier League with over 79.2 per game and a pass completion rate of 89%, a figure that very few can even come close to. Obviously if his role was purely to set up other, more creative players then this would not necessarily be an impressive feat but frankly Arteta does attempt more complex, defence splitting passes and can even get himself on the score sheet.
On top of this he provides competition for all of Arsenal’s young and developing central midfielders; something that is necessary if Arsenal are to get the best out of players like Ramsey and Wilshere. Another issue that was clear before Arteta’s arrival was the huge amount of pressure on Aaron Ramsey to pick up where Fabregas left off. Let’s face it, that was always going to be a monumental task, but the fact that he has Arteta to share the burden can only be beneficial for him. Ramsey already has the pressure of being an international captain; it is essential that he has a team mate in a similar mould to help him out at Arsenal whilst Wilshere is injured.
One of the criticisms that some Arsenal players in the latter years of the careers, such as Arshavin and Rosicky, have faced recently is that they seem to lack the desire to perform when they play for Arsenal. This is not a criticism that can be levelled at Arteta. Despite being closer to the end of his career than the beginning this is the first real time he has had the chance to play at a big club and only his second ever time in the Champions League. It really is a case of now or never for Mikel, and it shows in his performances. Against Man City he was everywhere, helping in defence before joining in with the counter attacks. He shows a level of desire that not all have at Arsenal, and it is refreshing. Often you feel as though the signings your club makes don’t always appreciate the pride involved in playing for your club, especially one as historic as Arsenal, but Arteta has come in from day one and given his all, and it has been more than good enough. It has been exceptional. Fans talk about how Song is underrated, how Vermaelen has stabilised the defence, but to underplay the role that the former Everton man has played in providing stability and consistency to Arsenal since September would be a display of ignorance that is insulting to the efforts of Arteta since he moved to London.
For more Arsenal news and views follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay
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