Arsenal and Hector Bellerin: Stephan Lichtsteiner balances competition and support

Arsenal have signed Stephan Lichtsteiner to back up Hector Bellerin at right-back. He provides the perfect balance of competition and support to allow the Spaniard to flourish.

Hector Bellerin is still only 23 years of age. I am aware that we often have a tendency to overlook a player’s age until it is too late — remember when Theo Walcott was still a potential prospect at 27? But for Bellerin, time is still on his side. Arsenal and Unai Emery need to remember that.

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The Spaniard has, however, suffered two underwhelming seasons in succession. The first was plagued by an ailing ankle injury that clearly affected him on the pitch, costing him that extra gear that he relies on so heavily and docking him of the full match sharpness that is required at the highest level. It wasn’t a valid excuse necessarily, but the injury did provide context for his disappointments.

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So when last season rolled around, I was eager to see how Bellerin would fare. Was it just the injury that was holding him back or was there a more pressing issue that could derail his whole development?

As I write this, I’m not sure his campaign answered that question. He was better than the year before, but his level was not that of his breakthrough season two years ago. His delivery was wayward and inconsistent, defensively he was far more lackadaisical and lapse than he had been, and he didn’t seem to look as fast, rarely searing past players as he had done in his earlier days.

Moreover, there was no other natural right-back in the whole squad. Not only was Bellerin integral to Arsenal given that any period of absence would have seriously lopsided the team, but there was no competition and no support for him.

This is why Arsenal signed Stephan Lichtsteiner. The 34-year-old Swiss captain, who allowed his Juventus contract to expire and was thereby available on a free transfer, was signed because of his influence on Bellerin as much as it was what he can offer the squad.

That is not to demean his playing value. He will add excellent depth at a position that was very thin last season. But if Unai Emery deemed Bellerin not good enough, he would not have signed Lichtsteiner as the solution. He was not signed to replace Bellerin; he was signed to improve Bellerin, and he might just be the perfect man for the job.

Lichtsteiner offers the ideal balance of support and competition. While he has been signed as a back-up, he will not be resting on his laurels. He will be pushing Bellerin hard, trying to steal his starting role. Bellerin will have to maintain his performance levels. But at the same time, his wealth of experience, his winning mentality, his understanding of the game and his leadership qualities will be invaluable for Bellerin who is still extremely impressionable.

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Bellerin is the starter. That much is for sure. Lichtsteiner is for support. But he is also good enough to offer just enough competition to keep the Catalunian on his toes. That could be the perfect recipe to see Bellerin rekindle that flying magic of two years ago.