Arsenal: Maybe Henrikh Mkhitaryan isn’t so easy to forget after all

Arsenal will be welcoming back Henrikh Mkhitaryan sooner than we thought, but in the meantime, I think we can all agree on how important he is.

Arsenal’s unconvincing draw against CSKA Moscow got the job done. All they had to do was not lose by three and, after a hell of a trial, they didn’t lose at all, but pulled it back even to continue their unbeaten run.

Positivity aside, I’d like to explore just how the Gunners got into such a bad position in the first place and, unfortunately, I have to not only backtrack on a prior argument I made, but also make the same mistake I made in making that first argument.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan‘s injury is going to be a problem. Although, thanks to this surprising new breakthrough, not that much of a problem. Apparently he will be back in two weeks, despite what recent reports had said. Regardless, I based my my argument entirely on the first leg against CSKA Moscow.

Related Story: 5 Things Learned Against CSKA Moscow

I need to make amends for that.

Last time out against CSKA Moscow, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was a bit of a non-factor. He was as active as always and was a presence on the ball, but he never really looked sharp enough as a threat to the opposing goal.

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So, when he went down injured, my eternal optimism kicked in and I said “hey, look at that, we didn’t need him against CSKA Moscow, we will be fine.” Of course, things are different knowing now that he is out for the season, but still, bear with me.

What we saw in the second leg was a drastic need for something else. Someone who would have been able to steal the spotlight from Mesut Ozil and make a go at the other side of the pitch. Ozil looked frustrated and alone, with no one there to help him.

That is where Mkhitaryan is such a big deal, as I have pointed out countless times prior. His main perk is what he allows Ozil to do. As in, he allowed Ozil to truly be himself.

I understand that had Mkhitaryan been there, Welbeck wouldn’t have started, and then what? And that’s a fair point. But if Mkhitaryan had been out there, this match wouldn’t have gotten so bad because, early on, when ball movement was a huge problem for these Gunners, the Armenian would have been exactly what was needed.

Next: Arsenal vs CSKA Moscow Player Ratings

Plus, Danny Welbeck would have come on for Alexandre Lacazette and saved us in the end anyway. Come on, this is Danny Welbeck, the superstar.