Arsenal: What’s Happened To Hector Bellerin?

Hector Bellerin was once more very poor in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday. What’s happened to the vibrant defender of last season?

As the dust settles from Arsenal’s frustrating and yet fair 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, it is clear that there has been a degradation and deprivation of the quality that was first on offer early in the season. This is a very different team to the one that dismantled Chelsea to the tune of three sumptuous goals.

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Credit must be given to the character of the squad as they hauled themselves back level on two separate occasions. However, there were issues with their performance – the final ball in the attacking third, their defensive shape, their alertness to danger – that are still to be ironed out.

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The man who perhaps exemplifies the tailing off of the Arsenal squad the best is Hector Bellerin. In his role as Sky Sports’ pundit, when asked about Bellerin’s role in Manchester City’s opening goal, Thierry Henry heavily criticised the defensive nous of the Spaniard, claiming that he relies on his speed, rather than his speed of thought:

"“We always talk about how fast Bellerin is but you have to be faster with your brain than your legs. You can’t allow Sane to be inside. What composure from Sane, what a run and a finish. But you can’t allow the winger to be inside like that. When Bellerin sees that again, you can’t always see it and think you can recover with your legs. You have to think about it with your legs. It’s shocking defending for me.”"

Bellerin’s role in the opening goal of the game was indicative of his recent poor form. On Sunday, Leroy Sane was his chief tormenter, with the speedy winger exploiting Bellerin’s ill-positioning and lack of awareness to great effect, often looking to make the dissecting runs in behind that exposed Arsenal to the high line that they were playing.

Bellerin, though, has been subpar for some time. Ever since his return from injury earlier in the season, he has looked a step slower to the man earlier in the season and looks far less dangerous when pushing forward in comparison to that of last year.

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It is difficult to identify why Bellerin is struggling of late. Perhaps he is yet to recover his match sharpness from his mid-season injury. Perhaps he is simply suffering from a dip in form as all players do. Or perhaps, more concerningly, he was a flash in the pan that cannot consistently match the level of performance that saw him enjoy a meteoric rise to an elite level. Whatever the case, Arsenal are in need of the very best that he has to offer.