Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur: Can Sead Kolasinac raise the roof?

Arsenal has to be elated with what they have landed in Sead Kolasinac, and it shows because not even Arsene Wenger can bench him. But is there more?

Arsenal achieved the signing of the summer, perhaps even longer than that, when they landed Sead Kolasinac for free. The Bosnian bruiser has been everything the Gunners have lacked in recent years and the only shame of the matter is that there is only one of him, and that one is confined to the left hand side.

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Every single match, we know what we are going to get from him. At the very, very worst, he is going to do his job and lay down the law. That’s at his worst. His consistency is remarkable given the style of player that he is, because there is no real downfall to his usage.

Then there are those matches where he finds a lot of joy. Those matches like Swansea City. Where he realizes that doing his job is good, but he can do a hell of a lot more, so he does.

He is reliable, which is, again, something we have not been able to say about that many people wearing the red and white in recent years.

So my big question going into the Bosnian’s first ever North London Derby is – does he have another level? Can he raise the roof and do even more?

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You hear a lot about players who step up to big games and play even harder. I have a hard time picturing Kolsinac playing any harder than he does every single match. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. But that’s where my curiosity stems from. Does he have another level to lift himself to for the added stakes of playing a team that he has – hopefully – already learned to hate?

It’s an interesting conundrum, wondering if his best can get even better. The Spurs have a solid set of fullbacks, with depth for days, and I would love to see their prized corps cut in half by another Kolasinac masterclass. Of course, that’s to be expected, really.

It’s nice to have at least one player where there is not a concern in the world that he won’t be up to the task at hand. Again, it’s just a shame that he is confined to one side of the pitch.

Next: North London Derby Combined XI

I’m ready to see him wreck some Spurs. That’s all I know.