“PICK OF THE BUNCH.”
From match-day to match-day there are certain individuals in the Arsenal team whose performance leaves them standing head and shoulders above the rest. The ones whose blood, sweat and tears are shed to ensure the team wins or at least makes a good attempt doing that. This weekly feature is going to make an attempt at picking the best player from each phase of play; DEFENCE, MIDFIELD and ATTACK. A simple, uncluttered review of the top players in each phase, with a shout to notable mentions in each phase, if there are any.
NB: WINGBACKS ARE A PART OF THE MIDFIELD, ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS ARE A PART OF THE ATTACK. K
P.S: Here’s to hoping we do not have any match-days like we did against Liverpool, when there was no player worthy of praise. J
EVERTON v ARSENAL.
DEFENCE.
NACHO MONREAL. (B+)
Nacho 8+
If you were to ask which of the players amongst our starting defenders should be the first name on the team sheet a year ago, many would be quick to mention Lolo. Ask that question now, and the surprising name you are bound to hear the masses clamor for would be Nacho Monreal. What form he has had this season. Popping up with vital goals, intercepting the ball like a highly trained sniffer dog on a drug bust and chastising teammates who make mistakes. He is playing like Thomas Vermaelen when he was not struck by any injury bug and seems to be in the form of his life. The fact that he has made his way back into the Spain national team with the crop of defenders they have available is testament to his ethics, attitude and abilities. We were hardly troubled by what is surprisingly a poor Everton outfit, yet we made a fool of ourselves with the concession of what were two totally avoidable goals, involving surprisingly our two best defensive players this season, Petr and Nacho.
MIDFIELD.
HECTOR BELLERIN. (B+)
Getting back to best 8+
Another Spaniard tearing it up in North London this season, Hector is slowly coming into his own. After a couple of bad performances and hairdos, the young trailblazer is picking up slowly the form he exhibited two years ago but he still has a ton of work to do with his final balls lest he ends up as another Oxlade Chamberlain. He made himself available several times on the right hand side yet he was let down by his final balls. To reach the echelon of great fullbacks in this modern game he needs to refine that aspect of his game, and we will benefit immensely from that.
ATTACK.
A (lexis) O (zil) L (acazette). (A-)
AOL Sparkle
Lol. It is going to take some time to catch on, but if they keep coming up with tantalizing football like they did on Sunday then it will become popular very quickly. AOL were awe inspiring and they proved to the manager why you MUST start your best players in every game. The movement, the passing, the shimmies and sashaying, wow, it all brought tears to my eyes. But until Everton had a man sent off we had a problem converting the beautiful play into something meaningful. There was the usual wasting of chances by Arsenal players, and one hopes they are going to be solved when the trio gets maximum time together in the field. Jack made a cameo later on and supplied a well-timed, well weighted ball to Ramsey who slotted home calmly and gorgeously. For so many years we have we waited to see that combination between Rambo and Jack and we finally got a taste of what might have been, but it is not too late, but it may be for our experienced AOL trio, who MAY have about eight months together to satisfy the cravings of Gooners worldwide with beautiful football.
FEEL FREE TO LEAVE COMMENTS AND OPINIONS ON WHOM YOU BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SELECTED, IN WHICH PHASE, AND WHY. TA!
I’m a 20 year old from Ghana in West Africa. I strongly believe I fell in love with The Arsenal in 2000 after watching that heartbreaking loss in Liverpool, thanks to the now pestiferous pundit Michael Owen. Or maybe, I love The Arsenal because Gunner rhymes with the name of my country. Shrug. I am an avid supporter of Monsieur Wenger and still see him as a visionary. Also, I believe the result must not always trump the means and glory days on the European stage are just a few steps away. Thanks to all who take time out to visit and read.
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