Arsenal: Mohamed Elneny Becoming Little Engine That Could

Mohamed Elneny has not had an easy time fitting in at Arsenal, but with this mentality of his, he is becoming the little engine that could.

I’m not going to lie, I nearly lost my mind when I saw Mohamed Elneny listed in Arsenal’s starting XI. Had he been next to anyone other than Granit Xhaka, I probably would have. I just don’t see what the purpose is of using the Egyptian, especially in must-win games like this.

Related: Wenger’s 10 Worst Signings Ever

If you look at the numbers, you would say I was justified in my misgivings. Elneny created zero chances, fired just two shots and neither were on target. Defensively, he was a pawn next to the knight that was Granit Xhaka. He accounted for eight fewer successful tackles than his Swiss counterpart.

But don’t let that fool you. Elneny absolutely did not have another Manchester United outing. If anything, his purpose became imminently clear and his path has begun to embody the popular children’s story “The Little Engine That Could”.

In the story, one little train engine who no one things can do much keeps pushing. And pushing. And trying as hard as he possibly can until he makes it up to the top of the hill.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

I don’t know what hill Elneny is trying to climb, but after seeing him against Burnley, I feel pretty confident saying that I have never seen any of our midfielders, save maybe Aaron Ramsey, work as hard as Elneny worked with so little reward.

For 90 minutes, that man was everywhere, pressuring the ball, pushing up the field and being a right nuisance to any Cherry who hoped to have a bit of breathing room. It didn’t always lead to anything, but his work rate was second to none and passion was palpable.

He just wanted to be there and he wanted to prove something, which I believe he accomplished.

In games like this, where you need more pressure and only have one position to do it, Elneny is the guy. Again, he wasn’t winning back balls left and right, but he was forcing the issue, making Bournemouth uncomfortable.

Next: Arsenal's 30 Greatest Players Ever

Plus, if Elneny keeps showing a work rate like this and desire to improve, who’s to say that this little engine that could couldn’t develop into a big, bad Premier League quality midfielder? It all starts in the mind and Elneny definitely has the mindset to be whatever the hell he wants.