Takehiro Tomiyasu’s resurgence at Arsenal this season has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Japanese international has displayed remarkable versatility, excelling at left back, central defense, and right back. His consistent performances has led to calls for Arteta to consider benching Oleksander Zinchenko, who has struggled to find his form.
Last season, Tomiyasu endured a challenging period at Arsenal, grappling with injuries that ultimately led to knee surgery. This resulted in him losing his starting position to Ben White, who took over at right back, which led Mikel Arteta to use the Japanese international in verious other defensive roles.
In a recent press conference ahead of the Arsenal vs. Sevilla match, Tomiyasu candidly shared that last season was the toughest of his career. He expressed, “I’m feeling very well. I have struggled with injuries, especially last season. Last season was my toughest season in my career.” Adapting to different roles this season has been a challenge, as he noted, “It’s not easy, and obviously, my role changes each game.”
This season, Tomiyasu seemed to have put his injury troubles behind him, featuring in 10 of Arsenal’s 11 Premier League matches. However, in last night’s Champions League clash against Sevilla, Tomiyasu started but did not return for the second half, with Zinchenko coming on as his replacement. Arteta explained, “He had some discomfort in the first half and we didn’t want to take any risks.”
While another injury setback is a posibility, Arsenal fans can take solace in knowing that Tomiyasu’s battling spirit and versatility remain crucial assets for the team. His return to top form this season has been a source of great encouragement and hopefully he will be not too badly injured.
His fitness has always needed to be monitored, but having Tomiyasu as a defensive backup is a reassuring prospect for the team as our fixture list becomes even more crowded as the season goes on…
Jack Anderson
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