Arsenal: 5 Things We Learned From Dinamo Zagreb Stomping

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5. Mathieu Flamini is competent

Before I made this claim, the first thing I did was examine Mathieu Flamini’s heat chart on WhoScored.com. The often rambunctious midfielder’s heat chart has him in the center of the pitch, if not a little bit behind it. That is precisely where we wanted to have him. There were a couple times where Flamini pushed up ahead of everything. Yet there were fewer times where I was questioning where he was. He managed to always get back.

Flamini maintained a 93% pass completion and had the second most interceptions on the team with three. While his one tackle all day leaves a bit to be desired, the point is that Flamini understood what had to be done and he did it.

Prior to the game, I had advocated for Krystian Bielik getting the start, as he was a defensive-minded player who would not get too far ahead of the play. I was a bit unnerved by the concept of Flamini and Cazorla both getting ahead of the ball. But Mathieu Flamini, for the most part, remained composed in the middle of the pitch. And for that, we must label him competent.

At number four, we move up to the right wing.

Next: Number 4