Three players who have been superb for Arsenal so far by SE
In what has been a moderate start to the campaign for the Gunners, it’s worth mentioning that they have had spirited performances coming from unexpected corners of their squad. When the season started, Ramsey was expected to continue from where he left off last season; Sanchez, although a spark in Arsenal’s season so far, hasn’t really set the stage on fire; Wilshere continues to be a skeptic of his own self. In the meantime, however, Arsenal have had some stellar performances coming from relatively unexpected individuals in their squad:
Calum Chambers
The 19-year old starlet has lived up to his 16 million pound price tag and, through his rollicking performances, earned himself an international call-up from the England manager, Roy Hodgson. More than the perfection to his defensive game, it’s the flamboyance and audacity that has been most impressive about Chambers. At Center-Back, he hasn’t found himself troubled too many times and, having played against the trickery of the likes of Demba Ba and Jovetic, already, Chambers should be up and ready for much bigger challenges that await him.
Performance Rating: 8.8/10
Nacho Monreal
What co-incidence it has been for the Spaniard to step into the shoes of Gibbs, and muster some great displays – both defensively and offensively – for Arsenal. The Englishman’s injury on the opening day of the season meant that Monreal has been able to feature regularly at Left-Back for Arsenal, which, subsequently, has helped him immensely. Otherwise, he would feature one week, and go completely oblivious for a length of time.
Monreal might have much bigger tests awaiting him but, during the first month of the 2014/15 campaign, he has been simply brilliant for Arsenal.
Performance Rating: 8.5/10
Santi Cazorla
The Spaniard, too, has been a tad fortunate to have made regular appearances for Arsenal this season. Barring the odd rusty game against Besiktas in the first leg of the Champions League playoff tie in Istanbul, Cazorla has been of great utility for Arsenal and Wenger. In fact, the Spaniard has created 9 chances for his team mates, second only to Sanchez’s tally of 10. Playing alongside Ramsey in Arsenal’s engine room, for a change, Cazorla has had the license to drive forward and aid Arsenal’s attacks – something he has relished doing. But, with the acquisition of Welbeck – and Walcott set to return to action shortly – the 29-year old’s place in the starting XI could become uncertain. However, he has done himself no harm by utilizing the opportunities that have come his way, during the month of August.
Performance Rating: 8.5/10
Final Thought
Prolific performances from the aforementioned trio can only be a positive for Wenger, who would want all his players fit and firing at any given stage of the campaign. Also, performances from unexpected personnel of the team can keep the more regular starters on their toes, and create a healthy competition for places.