Two solid wins and Arsenal seem to be doing that thing again, where they make everything great and fool you into forgetting anything bad has happened, or was happening. It doesn’t matter though. We turn up every week wanting to Arsenal to win. So when they do it’s somewhat nice and the world doesn’t seem so gloomy – and we can enjoy our weekends. And a notable player who has turned up in recent weeks after completely falling off his own brilliant radar is our very own Spanish wizard, Santi Cazorla. He’s been very easily our best player in the last two games, which have also been tough games, considering context and on the back of a run of dismal displays.
He was excellent against Dortmund, responsible for both goals and his all round dominance of the game was clear. It was the Santi Cazorla of old. The one that turned up at the FA Cup. The one that orchestrates games. It’s come at a pivotal period of the season as well, and with our midfield concentrated on wiping itself out, there’s a creative weight upon Cazorla’s shoulders again; sometimes he takes it, sometimes he doesn’t. Fortunately, at the moment, he has taken it well.
He built on his mid-week performance on Saturday and again took control of the game with his twinkle toes, wriggling and dribbling out of the way and into space; this is how he controls games. When he’s at his best he is extremely valuable because he can use both feet equally well, which makes him unpredictable, and incredibly balanced, allowing him to turn in every direction faster and more smoother than most – it’s how he get’s out of tight spots. He can also switch play, and is one of our players who look to do this the most; and more often than not, when he’s playing well, it’s utterly precise and effective. It was his invention that set up Welbeck’s winner (who put in another assured display and that goal well give him a huge boost), darting past a player with a speed we didn’t know he had and then finding the perfect ball for Welbeck to rise and head home. It was brilliant from both involved, and Cazorla had been dangerous all game so it was really good to see him rewarded.
His rest out of the starting line up has obviously paid off. Was it fatigue and he’s now re-charged his batteries? Or did he just need a wake-up call for too many passenger performances? However, you do wonder where Cazorla fits in when Walcott returns from the mysterious black void, which has engulfed him. I think it’d be a terrible decision not to capitalise on Chamberlain this season. This is the season that he can bridge the gap between good back up and nailed on starter. He’s too explosive to be sitting on the bench. And Chamberlain rarely disappoints. He’s incredibly direct and he has absolutely everything you’d want in a footballer. He reminds me of Bale. I think he can also go the distance like the Welshman. Not the Real Madrid distance though. In London. Give him what ever he wants when he asks for it. Which he will no doubt soon do. All player’s do this once they realise they’re better than that clumsy player training next to them.
Anyway, cheers all round for Cazorla who’s re-emerging at a vulnerable time, with the injury crisis seemingly becoming worse as the weeks tick by. Losing two left backs in the same game is simply The Arsenal.