Arsenal: Start or not, Lucas Torreira has big role to play

Arsenal’s impending match against Newcastle United, and all future matches, for that matter, give Lucas Torreira a starring role, whether he starts or not.

By now, we’ve reached a point where most Arsenal fans are expecting Lucas Torreira to start. Not just because we all really want him to, but because Unai Emery has gradually given him more and more minutes and, in return, Torreira has looked more and more ready.

For the first two matches, Torreira came in for Granit Xhaka and very little changed. For the second two, he came in for Matteo Guendouzi, and a good deal more changed. Now, that may be down to the competition, but it also may be down to the partnerships that are being built.

Whatever the case, and whatever the role, Torreira has a huge part to play in every game from here on out and that part is only going to grow and expand the more that he sees the pitch. It can’t be overstated just how much the Gunners needed someone like him and, now that he is here, we are literally just waiting for him to catch on.

The extra protection that Torreira will provide the defense is a lot of people’s guess for what can solve this pathetic defense. And that goes beyond if Torreira starts or not. As mentioned, he is finding more and more time off of the bench, so even if he doesn’t start, chances are he is going to end up on the pitch when defense matters most.

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As of yet, he hasn’t latched on, but the time will come when he does, when he becomes impossible to sit.

For now, we have to accept whatever role he is going to play, all the while knowing that when he hits the pitch, things are going to change. Or, perhaps, things should change, because it is his defensive abilities that are meant to shore up a very offensive-minded midfield.

It will be interesting to see what happens against Newcastle. Torreira was on the brink of being a sure start, but the supposed injury may have put him off the pace a bit. Whatever the case, his impact will be there, as it always will so long as he is the only one that does what he does at this football club.

After all, you can only be compared to N’Golo Kante so many times before you go off and become even better than him, right?