There has been a lot of talk about the resurgence of Arsenal this season and the immense impact that Mesut Özil has had on the team.
However, Mathieu Flamini has been the unsung hero. Although he has been mentioned, he has been largely overlooked. I for one am guilty of that. So this article is a bit of a tribute to the great work Flamini has contributed so far.
As a fan, on top of having good players at your club, you want them to have the desire to play for you. You want them to love the club, and it’s obvious that Flamini does. It’s easily proven given that he turned down a new contract at AC Milan to sign for Arsenal on a free.
At the time of his signing, fans were less than impressed, and understandably so. With reported cash reserves of up to £180million, no money had been spent, but in hindsight, following the arrival of Özil, it has been proven as a top signing for the club.
Arguably his best trait is that he is an obvious leader on the pitch, something we have been seriously lacking in during our recent trophy less years. We can’t hear what he’s saying on the pitch, but his body language and facial expressions are suggestive.
If someone makes a mistake, he’ll tell him. If someone needs to be told to get in to position, he’ll tell him. The Stoke game, for example, is an excellent demonstration of his character on the pitch.
There is a moment where you can see him shouting, organising the team and in to the picture steps our captain, Per Mertesacker. He claps his hands to motivate the team, puts his arm around Per and gestures to him where he should be and what he should be doing. That is what we’ve been missing, someone who will take charge of other players, be it a youngster or the captain.
The Stoke game is also a fitting example of how he leads by example. On top of bossing the team about, he puts in an incredible amount of work himself. His work rate is second to none and he takes pride in protecting his back four.
If you didn’t notice it when you watched the match live, check back at the highlights and take note of the aspects of his game that make him so important for us.
Be it in our box or the middle of the pitch, he is constantly tidying up play, picking up loose balls and getting stuck in to the opposition. His anticipation and ability to read the game make him incredibly effective at cutting out passes and crosses, and mopping up any second balls that may have been missed by others.
Ultimately, this does result in him acquiring quite an impressive number of yellow cards. So far, since his return to Arsenal, he has made five appearances in the league and picked up four yellow cards. Obviously, this isn’t brilliant in terms of suspensions, but it is a relief to know that we have someone in our team who isn’t afraid to do the dirty work.
On a slightly more theoretical note, we have to consider the form of Aaron Ramsey. When in a midfield partnership with players such as Wilshere, Ramsey would tend to play a deeper, more protective role.
With Flamini in the middle covering the defence and cleaning up, his position in the team has allowed Aaron Ramsey the freedom to express himself as the player he can be and seemingly wants to be.
Some may disagree, but Flamini’s arrival has definitely improved Ramsey’s game by freeing him from the chore of keeping an eye on the defence.