Arsenal vs Everton: 5 key players to ensure victory

2. Lucas Torreira

Making his debut on this list is the Uruguayan piranha (that’s my new nickname for him). It’s clear that Lucas Torreira has a huge impact on how matches go. Things change when he’s on the pitch and Emery seems to understand that.

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Give how much things change though, and the impact that he has on matches, it’s easy enough to point to him as a key player for any match. Not least of all because he brings out the best in Granit Xhaka, who is key to the successes of the club as well.

Torreira is simply everything we’ve wanted from a midfielder for the past decade. Everything we expect any given midfield arrival to be. He is that ball winner, he is that pivot, he is that tenacious heel-snapper, he is all of those things.

Even if he doesn’t start, which, granted, he should be doing against Everton, he is still going to be a huge part of what happens against Everton. Hopefully his impact won’t be needed, but he will still bring it regardless.

Finally, No. 1.