Joel Campbell Proved All We Need To Know In One Match

I have touched on this a few times already, but given the circumstances, it begs to be mentioned again. What Joel Campbell did against Swansea City is nothing short of extraordinary. The entire team looked flat in the first half, but Joel Campbell looked like he was well aware of the team’s situation and his own situation and was ready to take the game by the horns.

He did that.

From the moment the ball kicked off, we saw Joel Campbell’s token energy. That was never a questionable part of his game. The only questionable part was if he could put all the success he has had in other competitions towards success in England. The young Costa Rican proved he could do just that in 90 minutes of brilliant, nearly-flawless football. Let’s kick off this high-praise assessment with a montage.

That energy that we always see with Joel Campbell was met with some key improvements. First of all, it was met with composure. Joel Campbell did not look wild, erratic or out of control. He looked cool, calm and collective. Whereas his crosses against Sheffield Wednesday were flying about like shot out of a blunderbuss. But against Swansea, his crosses were weighted, controlled, and ticketed.

Related: Arsenal vs Swansea Player Ratings

Along with that, Joel Campbell’s possession was superb. He was not dispossessed a single time, nor did he have a wayward touch. Compare that to four combined instances of Alexis and Mesut Ozil being dispossessed and seven combined loose touches. But not Campbell. Joel Campbell did not lose a ball.

Then there was the defensive quality. This feature is probably going to leave a permanent smile embedded on Arsene Wenger’s face. Joel Campbell was tracking back on defense and looking as effective as Hector Bellerin. In fact, Joel Campbell had the second most successful tackles on the team with three, just one behind Nacho Monreal. He also had the third most interceptions on the team, behind just Francis Coquelin (six) and Monreal and Koscielny (five each). That is a dominant display defensively.

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And then there was the composure and intelligence. Campbell displayed excellent dribbling abilities. One run in particular saw him weaving his way through the Swansea defense. He showed excellent pace and even strength to win and keep balls. But when it was not there, Joel Campbell was not seen forcing runs or fouling unnecessarily. He would simply lay it off to a team mate. He looked like he had been a part of this offense for years.

And then we get to the best part. The goal. When the ball came to Joel Campbell, all signs indicated that a player in his situation with his pat would scuff, botch or sky it. But Joel Campbell stood over the ball, took his time, and placed the ball past Lukasz Fabianski.

It is only one performance. I get that. But Joel Campbell did against Swansea, in the Premier League, what he has been doing his entire career in internationals, in La Liga, in the Greek Super League and beyond. Now that we have seen that he can do it in England, we know that he has the quality to do so.

If it was a matter of confidence, check that box too. Joel Campbell gained so much confidence from this game that I cannot wait to see him out on the pitch again.

If Campbell can put these kinds of performances up with consistency, then Arsenal may have a star-turned. Now it is just a matter of making that happen.