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Ranking Arsenal’s Most Missed Injured Players
1. Aaron Ramsey
Without a doubt Aaron Ramsey is the Gunners most missed player. It comes down to a simple fact. Ramsey’s selflessness allows his teammates to do what they do best. When Ramsey was first shunted out wide, the talented midfielder made his reservations known.
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He is by no means a natural wide player. Ramsey isn’t the slowest man on the pitch but he doesn’t possess the searing pace and dribbling ability that many wingers have to take defenders one on one. That is not to say he does not have tons of offensive ability. During the 2013/14 season when Ramsey was named Arsenal’s player of the year. He racked up his 16 goals by surging forward into the box from the center of midfield .
This season Ramsey has learned how to make the position on the right flank his own. With Ramsey’s natural inclination to drift into a more central position, he forms more of a three man midfield base with Carzola and Coquelin. This gives Arsenal a powerful midfield trio that as clearly lacking recently against Bayern Munich and Tottenham. Although Coquelin is a feisty defender and Carzola is a midfield savant with his ability to dribble out of trouble, Ramsey combines industry with finesse in a way neither of his teammates can.
Furthermore Ramsey’s central tendencies gives Hector Bellerin the freedom to swash buckle down the right hand side and join in the attack. Conversely, when Bellerin is getting forward Nacho Monreal usually plays deeper and is on hand to lend his center backs support when they need it.
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Ahead of the midfield Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez create a three-pronged attack with the striker and this means they can pop up literally anywhere, like we saw against Manchester United. It was Ramsey’s pass from a relatively central position which released Ozil to set up Alexis for the Gunners’ first goal against the Red Devils. He also supplied a lovely pass to Theo Walcott who laid on the assist for Alexis’ second of the day.
Ramsey is Arsenal’s most balanced player and his versatility and selflessness is something Arsenal will gladly welcome back after the international break.