Arsenal's Established Stars In Line For Ego Check

With Santi Carzola, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere all set to return soon from injury, there will soon be an ego check for Arsenal’s established stars.

It is no secret that as a team Arsenal have largely under performed this season. Sitting in third place four points behind bitter rivals Tottenham and an astonishing eleven points behind upstarts Leicester City, the Gunners find themselves asking some very hard questions.

Furthermore, the downturn in fortunes of many of the Premier League elite highlights this seasons shortcomings. Both Manchester clubs are not playing up to scratch, and the seasons of Chelsea and Liverpool were over months ago. This was a great chance for the Gunners to hoist themselves to Premier League glory for the first time in over a decade.

Alas, due to rampant injuries and a lack of depth, Arsenal have now been dumped out of all competitions and are simply playing for pride at this point. However it is not all bad. This season has been highlighted by the majesty of Mesut Ozil, the meteoric rise of Alex Iwobi, the triumphant return of Danny Welbeck and the significant addition of Mohamed Elneny.

While Ozil’s talents are well known around the world, the discoveries of Iwobi and Elneny are particularly exciting. These two players have taken advantage of the manager’s good faith and responded fantastically well to the opportunities that they have been given.

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As it stands, Alex Iwobi deserves to be solidified as Arsenal’s left-sided forward. His introduction into the first team has breathed new life into Arsenal’s attacking play. His calmness and decision making on the ball combined with his natural pace and power makes Iwobi an impressive foil for Alexis Sanchez, who is now finding joy on the right hand side of the pitch.

For whatever reason Alexis is now finding the form that we have all come to expect from him. Whether it be due to a change of scenery or the addition of new personnel, he seems to be enjoying his football once again.

Most importantly, Iwobi seems to share the same wavelength as speedy striker Danny Welbeck. The English international is much more mobile than Olivier Giroud, but far more dynamic than Theo Walcott. This means that he enjoys getting in behind opposing defenses, but also has the ability to pull wide into the channels to open up space. He is also selfless enough to drop deep and collect the ball with his back to goal. Iwobi seems to pair extremely well with Welbeck’s playing style, using the space that number 23 creates to great effect.

With Iwobi in the squad, Arsenal no longer look like that toothless, insipid squad that fell to Manchester United and Swansea back to back, essentially sealing our season.

Mohammed Elneny has brought a calmness to Arsenal’s midfield that has been lacking since Santi Cazorla went down in the fall of 2015. The Egyptian midfielder has acclimated to life in the capitol exceedingly well, and while it is far too early to call him a superstar, his contribution should not go unnoticed. With Elneny in the team it seems that Arsenal finally have the capability to launch attacks and defend with numbers. Elneny pairs well with Coquelin because both players genuinely love defending and are both incredibly selfless team players.

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According to Whoscored, Elneny bossed the middle of the park completing a game high (and record high for the entire Premier League) 122 of his 127 passes. What this tells you is that Mohammed Elneny is always on hand to receive passes from his team mates and give them an option. He acts as a pressure release valve similar to what Santi Carzola used to do. Only instead of maintaining continuity with his dribbling, Elneny marshals the pitch with his high work rate and simple, no-nonsense approach. Also as we have seen in Barcelona, the man has very nice shot distance.

The rise of these two players should not be halted by the return of Arsenal’s more famous names. Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey should not be chosen over Mohammed Elneny simply because of their reputation. Neither of these players gives this team what the new signing has brought to the table. In the end, both Wilshere and Ramsey desire to be No. 10’s, and because of this fact they simply do not provide the solidity that Arsenal need at the base of midfield. Furthermore their rampant injuries make it impossible to rely upon either of them.

Santi is another story entirely. It can be claimed that Carzola’s injury is what sank Arsenal’s title tilt. When he does return he should be the only name that even gets a sniff at the deep lying play-maker position.

The electrifying form of Alex Iwobi, who now has two goals from two premier league starts, has rightfully kept Theo Walcott and Joel Campbell on the bench. I can’t imagine a situation where Jack Wilshere or Aaron Ramsey get the opportunity to leap frog any of those players and claim a starting position.

Next: Mohamed Elneny The Key To Consistency?

Arsenal’s established stars maybe in store for a rude awakening when they finally return to match fitness and with the Euros around the corner that may ruffle some feathers. However over the past two domestic games, Arsenal have captured the slightest semblance of form and that can not be sacrificed due to a few inflated egos.

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Arsenal’s Established Stars In Line For Ego Check

By Jabari LeGendre | Apr 7, 2016

With Santi Carzola, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere all set to return soon from injury, there will soon be an ego check for Arsenal’s established stars.

More from Pain in the Arsenal