Arsenal: Hector Bellerin doubts lack key context

Kevin Kilbane has stated that Hector Bellerin may not think he’s good enough for the Arsenal side anymore. While his form has deteriorated, such criticisms lack a key piece of context: injury.

When Bacary Sagna departed for Manchester City in the summer of 2014, it was assumed that Mathieu Debuchy, acquired from Newcastle United in the same window, would succeed him as Arsenal’s starting right back, a position that has been blessed with potential and success for many years.

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However, Debuchy, thanks to a deterioration of form and several injuries, was unable to impress himself as the starting fullback. And in his sustained absence, Hector Bellerin was the beneficiary. The young Spaniard, who had hinted at a bright future at times after being signed in Cesc Fabregas’ departure to Barcelona, shone, playing with great vibrancy and intensity, bombarding up and down the right flank with tremendous speed and stamina.

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But since that breakthrough year, Bellerin has failed to progress. It was hoped, and expected, that he would progress to become one of the more dominant fullbacks in the Premier League and in Europe. Thanks to his athletic gifts and his technical skill, the greater playing time would enhance his game understanding and round him out as a player.

That, though, has not happened, and some are now questioning whether he belongs in the Arsenal side whatsoever. Kevin Kilbane stated that he believes that Bellerin doubts whether he deserved a place in the team, casting shade on his development and growth:

"“Hector Bellerin has gone from being one of the best right-backs in football to almost now thinking he’s not good enough to get in the Arsenal side. It’s incredible the decline in Bellerin.”"

While Kilbane is right to highlight the deterioration of Bellerin’s performances, to simply state that he is now a worse player who doubts his place in the lineup is lazy analysis, lacking context.

Because Bellerin’s issues over the past 18 months have come thanks to injury. But the injury was not a season-ending ACL tear or a broken leg or a snapped Achilles. Rather, it was a niggling ankle issue that was not severe enough to force him out of the lineup for any sustained period but did hinder him when he played.

Bellerin fought through the ankle injury but he was clearly restricted in his play. His first step was far less dynamic, he lacked the searing top-end speed that had made him so successful during his first season in the starting lineup, and mentally, it became a distraction for him, meaning that he was not fully focused on the task ahead.

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Bellerin looked like he was beginning to re-find his best form on Saturday, now playing at his most natural position, and if he can stay fit and match sharp through the year, I fully expect him to put the doubts that people like Kilbane have to bed.