Arsenal: Stephan Lichtsteiner reinforcing his own perfection

Arsenal have doubled-up on the Switzerland brigade, and given what they showed against Serbia, this was more than a smart investment.

Arsenal were quick to pounce on the expiring contract of Stephan Lichtsteiner, and as such, fans were quick to tune into everything that Lichtsteiner was doing/was going to do in the World Cup for Switzerland.

Maybe the 34-year old hasn’t been a show-stopper on the pitch – he is 34 and a rightback, after all – but it’s more than that, that makes him the attractive signing that he is.

Switzerland vs Serbia was a tense match. The political tensions were palpable on the pitch, and they were clear to see from the goal celebrations on the Swiss side of things.

But the role of Lichtsteiner on that pitch will, ideally, be the role that he plays for the Gunners as he steps into his new digs in North London.

Lichtsteiner, as the long-serving Swiss captain, was given a tough ask when Serbia scored a goal so early on in a match that Switzerland really needed at least one point from. Lichtsteiner had to get his troops riled up on the pitch to answer back.

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Switzerland didn’t just rally, they answered. They buckled down, stayed true to their game, and stepped up the intensity. No one was more intense than Lichtsteiner, who could be seen yelling and screaming at anyone who would (and wouldn’t) listen.

Never underestimate the role of the captain in something like this. Yes, the switch at half was clear, as Switzerland seemed to regroup after the midway point. But Lichtsteiner was the emotional figurehead of this effort against Serbia, and that emotional figurehead is coming to the Emirates.

This is what you want from your leaders. This is what Gooners have wanted from their leaders (or lack thereof) for years now. We have seen Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi yelling and barking on the pitch, but you can always add more, and few can play that role better than Lichtsteiner, who has been doing it for years.

Lichtsteiner was also quick to defend his teammates for their goal celebrations after the match, allowing them the emotion that they earned from scoring a goal.

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Again, this is the kind of person that you want. He’s the kind of person that can get his teammates fired up because they trust him to have their backs. We should be massively excited to see the effect that Lichtsteiner has. Not necessarily in his own capacity, but for the team as a whole.

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