Arsenal: Sead Kolasinac added to short list of difference makers

Arsenal has been plagued in the recent past with a lack of guys that can drum up some individual inspiration. But the list now grows with Sead Kolasinac.

No matter how talented your team is, every so often, you just need someone to get the ball at their feet and take matters into their own hands. Arsenal‘s list of guys that are capable of doing that is short. Alexis Sanchez obviously tops it, but I also have Aaron Ramsey there as well.

Two guys that can take the match into their own hands and use their own inspiration to drive the club. There are plenty of other talented players around them, but each and every one needs someone else to make things happen.

Olivier Giroud is immensely talented, but he needs service. Mesut Ozil is a wizard, but he needs to give the ball to someone else.

I had contemplated adding Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the list before he traded his starting role for the Liverpool bench.

But now the list grows with the addition of Sead Kolasinac. It may still be short into his North London career, but there are certain qualities that don’t get rusty, or don’t get figured out. And Kolasinac has them.

We saw it again against FC Koln. His introduction prevented a disaster and completely turned around a first half that was some of the worst football we have ever seen Arsenal play. Sead Kolasinac came on, thumped home a beautiful goal, and that was that, the game was turned.

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From there, we saw more of what he can do. His ability to infiltrate the box by darting down the line is simply fantastic and it was on display yet again. And as I have mentioned in the past, even if defenders catch onto this, he can still cut inside or serve early crosses, keeping them honest.

But the main quality that I think puts him on this list and puts him in the ‘don’t ever worry about me’ zone is his strength. Time and time again we have seen him over the ball and just refusing to give it up. He will literally shove guys away from him before he gives the ball up. That isn’t something that can get rusty. That’s just strength and grit.

And winning the ball back falls in the same category. You don’t just lose that. Not with how cleanly he does it, as he rarely leaves his feet.

Next: Arsenal vs FC Koln Recap, Highlights and Analysis

There is no doubting the quality that Arsenal landed in Kolasinac. One goal and two assists in under 300 minutes played. Just four appearances, two of which were out of position. Kolasinac is here to change games and we will only see more of that going forward.

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