Arsenal: The old Aaron Ramsey is back, albeit with a touch of maturity

Aaron Ramsey has been nothing short of brilliant of late for Arsenal, and his performances have reminded us of the Welshman at his very best. But can he stay fit and keep it going?

Just before the international break came Arsenal’s worst performance against Liverpool. Then, with the Gunner’s facing Bournemouth, FC Koln and Chelsea within a week, fans feared the worst. But while The Cherries and the Europa League fixture went somewhat to plan, it was Chelsea that was going to prove to be rather difficult.

With their struggles in the middle of the park so well documented by both fans and critics alike, many were worried that Arsenal would be overwhelmed again. However, come game-day and a tactical masterclass by Arsene Wenger lead by man of the match Aaron Ramsey, that wasn’t the case. The 0-0 draw shocked all, especially Ramsey’s performance.

Now while I have always had faith in the Welshman’s undeniable talent, especially after the performances of the 2013/14 season, it’s his consistency and positional sense that has been questioned. Of late, Aaron Ramsey played out of his skin and looked like a completely different player.

He sat beside Granit Xhaka and ran the game, enclosing and making sure that his slower midfield partner was never exposed. Ramsey is known for his attacking runs, but against the Blues, he managed to control them, only making them when required.

Then against West Brom, with Mesut Ozil still injured, Ramsey was given his place in the front three. He proceeded to do brilliantly with the opportunity, playing in a similar position for Wales.

Ramsey played so well that critics and pundits alike have been shocked by the Welshman’s performances at both Chelsea and last weekend against West Brom.

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From Jamie Carragher to even former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, all had nothing but praise for Ramsey. Henry had this to say (as quoted by Wales Online):

"The question was always when he plays as a holding midfielder and that’s a question mark that they rectified against Chelsea. Today what was interesting was Mesut Ozil didn’t play so he (Ramsey) could play higher."

The Welshman has been playing so well that Arsene Wenger has even said that he could one day become an Arsenal captain.

Being an Arsenal captain once meant something more than it does right now. It was worn by players like Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, and Thierry Henry. While many may think the boss has gone crazy, Ramsey is certainly an interesting choice as a future club captain.

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However, putting aside all that, the question for Aaron Ramsey to answer this season is to stay fit and consistently play well.

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