Arsenal: Henrikh Mkhitaryan fighting off early demons convincingly

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Jose Izquierdo and Gaetan Bong of Brighton and Hove Albion close down Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal at Amex Stadium on March 4, 2018 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Jose Izquierdo and Gaetan Bong of Brighton and Hove Albion close down Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal at Amex Stadium on March 4, 2018 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal brought on Henrikh Mkhitaryan to be the counter-play to Mesut Ozil and not, early demons aside, he continues to prove what sets him apart.

It was like old times again, seeing the No. 7 shirt chase down every single ball that was within a reasonable distance. He didn’t care about his position, his responsibilities or the state of the match, he was determined to get the ball back for Arsenal and turn play around the other way.

Only that No. 7 was Henrikh Mkhitaryan and not Alexis Sanchez.

Against Brighton & Hove Albion, we saw the familiar sight many times. Mkhitaryan was like a snapping bulldog, chasing down everyone that dared keep the ball away from him. It was an inspiring sight, to see a new player so swept up in a desire for change.

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I won’t lie, when Mkhitaryan put up a sickeningly awful match against Tottenham at Wembley, I had a tinge of worry. A tinge in that, I had this little nugget in my brain telling me that maybe his success pre-Premier League was a fluke.

I kept ignoring that nugget though, refusing to listen to it. And I’m glad I did, because those early demons, those “he’s not mentally ready for big matches” worries, quickly disappeared.

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As has been the case with these past three matches (for Mkhitaryan the past two), I can’t pull many positives out of productivity and goal production because, quite simply, there has been none. But I can pull positives out of attitude and a desire to turn things around.

It’s been few and far between on the pitch, with the team split nearly in half with one side loafing and the other doggedly determined. Mkhitaryan fit in the latter. Again.

Mkhitaryan has always been known for his drive and his ability to push play into the opposing half, but he has been less renowned for his defensing ability and his drive to start from so far back in his own half.

I don’t know what has clicked in him, but, as sad as this may sound, he has become one of our top defensive ball-winners as the team plummets to new lows. He has had defensive numbers just behind that of the current man of the hour, Granit Xhaka, and he has done it through a sheer desire to change things.

This can’t be asked enough – how many people do you see trying to do that?

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It’s as if Mkhitaryan has a desire to prove to himself, his team mates and the fans that just because he can’t produce in a suddenly stale offense doesn’t mean that he can’t contribute. I admire that.