Gunner Talks Up Brewing Arsenal Partnership No One Should Sleep On
Finally, Mikel Arteta may have fielded the midfield trio Gooners have been craving, perhaps offering a glimpse of how his engine room will look in next Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester United. Before Eberechi Eze signs and potentially reshapes everything, Arsenal’s best midfield trio on paper is Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, and new arrival […] The post Gunner Talks Up Brewing Arsenal Partnership No One Should Sleep On appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
RR aka Rishi-Raj
Finally, Mikel Arteta may have fielded the midfield trio Gooners have been craving, perhaps offering a glimpse of how his engine room will look in next Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester United.
Before Eberechi Eze signs and potentially reshapes everything, Arsenal’s best midfield trio on paper is Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, and new arrival Martin Zubimendi.
While it seemed obvious this trio would anchor Arsenal’s midfield, Arteta curiously avoided fielding them together during pre-season, until Saturday. In the 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, the Spaniard finally unleashed them, his strongest midfield, and it was a hit.
Zubimendi is the real deal
Zubimendi slotted seamlessly alongside Rice and Ødegaard, with no Thomas Partey void to be filled. Against Bilbao, he was every inch the heartbeat of the team, with stats to back up the hype:
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Assists: 1
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Most tackles: 4
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Accurate passes: 94%
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Touches: 58
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Accurate long balls: 83%
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Tackles won: 100%
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Recoveries: 2
It is brilliant how he single-handedly elevated those around him. Rice instantly looked sharper, their fluid interchanges across phases of play were a joy to watch. Ødegaard found rhythm, Gyökeres shone scoring from his assist, Martinelli looked reinvented, and suddenly Saka wasn’t being double-marked, all thanks to Zubimendi’s influence.
Arguably, that was a perfect hint that Arsenal are set to boast one of the finest midfields in the league this season.
A perfect partnership in the making
As good as Zubimendi is on and off the ball, he’s going to bring out the best in Rice and Ødegaard, and even he knows it.
“It was very easy – the team made it very easy for me. I think the rest of the team has integrated very well, and I think the people on and off the pitch are very friendly,” he told Arsenal.com.
“[Declan and Martin Ødegaard] are top players, the best in their position. It’s time to learn, adapt and enjoy it above all.”
While much of the attention next season may be on Gyökeres and whether he can replicate his goal-scoring exploits in the Premier League, Zubimendi’s impact should not go unnoticed. His partnership with Rice, an unorthodox pivot of sorts, is already showing promise.
In play, it allows Ødegaard to drift more centrally, pulling the strings in attack with greater freedom and rediscovering his brilliance while silencing the critics.
Zubimendi is going to change lives at Arsenal.
What are your thoughts Gooners?
Daniel O
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The post Gunner Talks Up Brewing Arsenal Partnership No One Should Sleep On appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
