Arsenal: Shkodran Mustafi the best that we have, and that’s good

Arsenal’s defense has fallen under intense scrutiny, and for just cause, but if we’re building a hierarchy, Shkodran Mustafi is at the top, and that’s a great place to start.

You can tell just by looking at the Premier League table. Arsenal’s defense has been the problem this year, and what a problem it has been. But it’s not just the defensive line that causes the problems. Not being able to defend well in the middle of the pitch (not including lately) has been a huge contributing issue.

It’s time to take stock of what we do have. Because, surprisingly, it’s not nearly as bad as it seems, although it may be controversial.

Laurent Koscielny has long reigned supreme at the top of the hierarchy, but to me, he has relinquished that spot this year. His inconsistencies and questionable health make him a still sturdy No. 2.

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It’s the No. 1 I want to talk about though, because Shkodran Mustafi is that No. 1.

Debated by many and revered by few, Mustafi has the makings of a truly top tier defender. I have no qualms saying that because, when he is in peak form, the difference it makes on the game is noticeable.

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Generally speaking, you don’t want to notice a defender at all. The less the better. But for Mustafi, at his best, you do notice him. In a good way.

His athleticism and aggression is unmatched and, if he can make his “bad” games moreso quiet than bad, then he will rank as one of the top defenders in the world. Most players seek to improve on their abilities. Mustafi doesn’t need that so much. He needs to just learn how to not overreach.

His abilities alone stand strong in the face of anyone. Mustafi has pocketed some of the best strikers in the world. At 25 years old, that’s a feat.

I get that he is erratic. That’s the problem. But to have such a talented defender, who hasn’t even hit his peak form, as our No. 1 defender, well, that’s a good thing. A good thing that I don’t want to get buried under a poor overall defensive season.

It’s all about the philosophy with this defense. The tactics. They aren’t working. They aren’t coalescing with the personnel that we have. That can be fixed, but it doesn’t need to be uprooted entirely. Look at how solid this club has been lately. Lessons are being learned.

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We should be proud of what we have in Mustafi. And that pride will grow the more we play him.