Arsenal Vs Aston Villa: 5 Things We Learned

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3. Nacho Monreal is a difference-maker

Nacho Monreal has always been subtle, yet incredibly effective. Since rising up the ranks, overtaking Kieran Gibbs and assuming the role of first-team left back, Monreal has not looked back. Even when I was griping for Gibbs to be restored to his place as starter, I still had to praise the consistency of Monreal. He always went out there and took care of business.

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Against Aston Villa, when Arsenal was looking rather shaky at the back, Monreal became a difference maker. That is not really a position that can rise to the call of being a ‘difference maker’, unless your name is David Alaba. But that is exactly what Monreal became.

His statistics are not necessarily eye-popping – three tackles and four clearances – but he was a rock back there. I saw multiple occasions of Koscielny, Mertesacker and Bellerin looking shaky and unsure. They were giving the ball away. But not Monreal. Monreal was Arsenal’s rock from the left side.

On to lesson number two, since we are speaking of being ‘quietly effective’.

Next: 2. The Rise Of Mathieu Flamini