Arsenal: Henrikh Mkhitaryan the necessary effector

When people think about Arsenal’s attacking talents, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is often the forgotten man. But while he may not be flashy or stylish, he is effective, and, at times, that is precisely what is needed.

When Arsenal swapped Alexis Sanchez for Henrikh Mkhitaryan all the way back in January, it was quite a surprising but thankful end. The eventual trade had been reported for some time, and Sanchez’s will-he-won’t-he-leave saga had dragged on for 18 months. People were ready for the end, and when it came, they were surprisingly pleased with the outcome.

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It was quite difficult to know what value Sanchez was worth. He had only six months remaining on his contract. It would have been easy for any potential buyer to simply say ‘no thank you, we’ll wait.’ And so, Arsenal were in a tough negotiating position. To come out the other end with Mkhitaryan, then, was good work.

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And Mkhitaryan looked promising in his first half-season in north London. While there were lacklustre performances that were concerning, like the dreadful north London derby soon after his signing, for the most part, he was busy, industrious and productive. In 797 Premier League minutes, he scored two goals and assisted four, which totals one more than the number of goals and assists he had for Manchester United in the same season in 931 minutes.

He also added a goal and an assist in the Europa League, including a crucial goal against AC Milan in the first leg in the San Siro to open the scoring. That was perhaps his best performance, alongside the three-assist home debut against Everton, and showcased his surprising work rate in defensive areas, his ability to beat defenders with the ball at his feet, and his creative, incisive nature in the final third.

But Mkhitaryan was inconsistent, even within games. Some touches would be sublime; others would slip away from him as he strived to do more than was necessary. It was frustrating. But that is the kind of player that he is. He is more direct than Mesut Ozil. He takes more risks in possession, he tries things, he makes mistakes, but then he creates and scores.

That is a key element to this Arsenal attack, even if it is often overlooked. It is Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who grab the headlines. Aaron Ramsey won the Player of the Season, Alexandre Lacazette ended the year strongly. It’s almost as if Mkhitaryan is an afterthought. But that is insulting to his talent and production.

He may not ooze the same class as Ozil or boast the goal record of Aubameyang and Lacazette or have the marauding highlights of Ramsey, but his industry, his diligence and his gritty desire are attributes to be desired and praised.

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He may not be the flashiest of attackers. He may not be the most stylish of footballers. But he is effective, and sometimes, that is precisely what Arsenal need.