Arsenal: Stephan Lichtsteiner ideally Hector Bellerin’s last step

Arsenal have handed the world to Hector Bellerin, but he has been unable to grasp it. Stephan Lichtsteiner could be the last missing step.

Arsenal had a unique set-up with Arsene Wenger. He would give his players an unlimited lifeline of opportunities so long as he knew the talent was there and trusted them to make the most of themselves.

To a certain extent, this is admirable, and accounts for a lot of why players want to play under Wenger so badly. He is never going to give up on a guy that he truly believes in.

Hector Bellerin was one of those players. Wenger handed him his first major opportunity when Mathieu Debuchy was injured and Wenger, like all of us, was stricken by how much talent the then-short-haired Spaniard boasted.

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His speed was sensational, and he boasted superb instincts to boot. There was so much to be excited about that Wenger essentially cleaned house to allow Bellerin to proceed completed uncontested, without a threat to speak of to his job.

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That is where the problem developed. Because Bellerin has since hit a bit of a rough patch. There’s always that chance that he would have overcome it on his own. But I think we got a taste of what’s to come when we saw how much he stepped up following Wenger’s announcement that he was leaving.

That was a big step for Bellerin, but it wasn’t the final step. Stephan Lichtsteiner can be that final step.

I think we all understand that the Swiss rightback is not the world beater he used to be. That’s fine. Worst case scenario, he makes a few spot starts in side competitions and serves as a bit of a veteran presence on a young defense. That would be satisfactory.

In an ideal situation, though, Lichtsteiner could put pressure on Bellerin, who hasn’t seen pressure in his entire career with the Gunners. And that pressure will bring out his best self and, just like riding a bike, once you feel it and trust it, you know how to get there. Better yet, you know when you’re not doing it right.

Bellerin needs that. He needs that awakening. He needs to understand what isn’t his best.

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Hopefully Lichtsteiner can provide that. I would hope it doesn’t come to it, but Bellerin being benched once should work the magic that’s needed. We all know the talent is there, now it’s just about teasing it out of him.