Arsenal Vs Swansea City: 5 things we learned

SWANSEA, WALES – JANUARY 30: Nacho Monreal of Arsenal celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Arsenal at Liberty Stadium on January 30, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

4. Nacho Monreal can’t stop attacking

I’ll be honest here, I’m not quite sure how well Nacho Monreal actually played. He was one of Arsenal’s better players on the night, at least providing an element of attacking impetus when he overlapped Alex Iwobi on the left flank, but defensive there were several nervous moments, including a poor clearance for the third goal, and he was caught out of position a little too often for my liking. But I had to get something positive in this piece, and this is all I could think of.

Monreal has now played 214 minutes of football since his return from an ankle injury. He has scored twice, assisted twice, and played a direct hand in another. Four of those five instances have come from what is very quickly becoming his trademark move: the looping run around the back post. Whether it be from a set-piece or during open play, Monreal seems to have a nous of finding space at the far post.

Now, that may not be his most important ability, and it certainly does not cover up for some of the defensive shortcomings that were on show against Swansea. But it is a positive, just. And, for now, that is all that I can think of.