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Arsenal: Hector Bellerin Erasing Bacary Sagna From History
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal has actually always had good fortune at right back, with Bacary Sagna coming to memory. But Hector Bellerin is erasing that history.
Arsenal are truly blessed with the young man that holds down their right back position. Hector Bellerin is like human gold. The guy is 21 years old and is already front-running the conversation of who is the best right back in the world.
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That’s pretty intense in a world where David Alaba and Philip Lahm are still alive and well. Bellerin has everything they do and he’s younger than all of them. His mix of defensive solidity and offensive upside is unlike anything else you can find in England.
And don’t tell me Kyle Walker.
It is remotely reminiscent of another full back Arsenal used to have. A fullback who used to be deeply embedded in what limited success the Gunners of the debt era had, Bacary Sagna seemed to have it all. Except for that heart of loyalty that Bellerin exhibits on a daily basis.
I must admit, it was just after reading this article about Bellerin passing Sagna on the assist table that I remembered that Bacary Sagna is actually a real person. It’s a really cool thing when you can completely forget treachery.
It’s also pretty amazing, to forget a player who had such a profound impact and such a huge role to play on a team. But that’s what will happen when you have someone like Hector Bellerin to pick up the pieces.
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The fact that Bellerin has surpassed Sagna on Arsenal’s assist charts isn’t even the big thing. Even through he is only in his third season and Sagna had seven seasons isn’t the main draw either. The main draw is the security in knowing that Bellerin is not only more talented than Sagna, but also a much more loyal and reliable player.
Bellerin is resetting the standard for what a full back can be. Is is erasing all former modules and showing that his type, the all-encompassing, does it all type, is the only type of fullback that can transcend through all leagues and teams.
That’s some pretty serious stuff. Through all of this worry that Ozil and Alexis might leave, we have just as prolific of a talent in Bellerin and there has never been and never will be any doubt about where he stands.
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He stands right here with the Gunners.