Arsenal: Whatever Aaron Ramsey was playing for, he wins

Arsenal were blessed with arguably the best individual 45 minutes in a decade by Aaron Ramsey. Whatever his motivation was, give it to him.

I watch a lot of football, and not just Arsenal. Maybe I have a bit of red-tinted glasses on from time to time, but I think I can be forgiven for that.

Why am I saying all of this? Well, believe it or not, it has nothing to do with Granit Xhaka. It does, however, have everything to do with Aaron Ramsey. Those first 45 minutes of the match against CSKA Moscow were the best individual 45 minutes I’ve seen in the past decade.

He was an individual inspiration magnet, a catalyst for everything. Every single thing he touched turned to gold. He could have had a hat trick by the half-hour mark and, by extension he could have had six by the full time whistle.

Related Story: 5 Things Learned Against CSKA Moscow

I don’t know what Aaron Ramsey was playing for. I want to know, but I don’t. All I know is that this is the best we have ever seen him. Better than Everton hat trick. Better than any individual performance in 2013/14.

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Ramsey looked better, faster, stronger, more intelligent, sharper with possession then he ever has before. I often say that the one thing Jack Wilshere has on him is that Wilshere is better in possession. This game was the first time in maybe ever that I saw Ramsey doing far more with the ball than Wilshere.

That’s the thing though – I want to know what Ramsey was playing for. He understands his own situation. His contract situation, that is. He gets it. And while I’ve been preparing myself for the let down of what I assume to be an inevitable exit, he continues to improve and become a bigger and bigger influence in more ways than even I thought he was capable of.

Which is why I return to the question – was he playing for a new contract worth the £200,000+ that he is so clearly deserving or was he playing to garner more attention from prospective clubs? I would love to believe it is the former, but the latter is certainly possible.

Whatever Ramsey was playing for, he won. If he was playing to prove he was more deserving of staying than Wilshere. He did it. If he was playing for a new contract, pay him whatever the hell he wants.

Next: Arsenal vs CSKA Moscow Player Ratings

I won’t go into that other option because I don’t want to believe that it exists. Let’s just hope that the most important people saw that performance too. It was hard to miss.