Arsenal midfielder INSISTS he’s STAYING and looks likely to ADAPT to a new role at the club

It seems that recent quotes from Santi Cazorla regarding the club’s prospects this coming season and how much he’s looking forward to partaking in it has slipped right under the radar, with supporters including myself more concerned about our next additions.

One thing we shouldn’t forget is the importance of KEEPING OUR BEST PLAYERS as well as recruiting them. Alexis Sanchez might displace Santi from the team in time if Arsene Wenger sticks with Olivier Giroud and uses Theo Walcott when back from injury which is all very possible. However imagine seeing them all be part of our squad.

They are great options to have and the likes of Mesut Ozil will need resting as Wenger has acknowledged. Therefore we are likely to see Santi start in clearly what is his best and favoured position…the No. 10 role.

Santi had a mixed campaign last season but his class has still always been evident in our style of football. His free-kick against Hull in the FA Cup final is maybe the most underrated goal of our season, for all sorts of reasons. Santi is technically sound but whenever does he score free-kicks for us? When it mattered most perhaps!

That goal in my opinion made the comeback inevitable and the rest as they say, is history.

Alexis is probably the only other player that could contend with Cazorla as the most skilful at the club. Cazorla’s influence in our style is also underrated, he can comfortably receive the ball in any area of the field and wriggle out of trouble, he’s almost impossible to mark because he’s adept on both feet.

I don’t think I’ve seen a player as comfortable on both feet like Santi since Zinedine Zidane, and I don’t even remember him taking any corners let alone dangerous ones with his weaker foot. That’s special! His vision is superb sometimes may overdo his switching of play but he’s got it comfortably in his locker to do so.

My one criticism of him is how often he pulls the strings when the going gets tough, he’s one of those players you look to pull a rabbit out of the hat when you’re in desperate need of it however he didn’t do so in many of our crunch games last season where we got rolled over by league rivals.

Aaron Ramsey was out, Jack Wilshere was out, Theo was out, Ozil was struggling as was Giroud; Santi was the player you’d look to even before many of those players, yet it seemed like The Ox was our only hope in the Chelsea game for instance but there was too much pressure on the young man.

Although there was West Ham away when we overturned a one-goal deficit in the last 20 minutes. Wenger went for broke and put a host of attackers on which saw Santi drop into central midfield. He picked out every run available to him and changed that game, was superb and that’s more of what we need to see from him I felt until THAT free-kick.

Santi will be important to how we start the season if he’s to play in the middle and I’m looking forward to seeing how often he can continue to get us out of our seats as he truly is a fantastic player.

Ooooh Santi Cazorla…We’re happy you stayed, well I certainly am!

Subomi Oguntoyinbo

Subomi Oguntoyinbo

I am Subomi. An Arsenal supporter throughout my lifetime currently in my early 20’s. I am a graduate of West London’s Met Film School and an aspiring screenwriter. I do like to write about various topics that interest me and that tends to swing towards matters concerning Arsenal, it’s a passion of mine.

I was born and raised in North London, moved out to Essex but I am now back in North London for university of course.

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