Arsenal: Is there a second fiddle to Lucas Torreira?

Arsenal have a true gem in Lucas Torreira, but do they have a second fiddle for Torreira, or is the club running a major risk with the lack of one?

The win vs Sporting Lisbon marked the 11th win in a row for Arsenal in all competitions and they will look to extend the run to 12 wins in a row when they face crystal palace on Sunday at Selhurst Park which will prove to be a good test of the gunners ‘ physicality.

The lion-hearted Lucas Torreira has emerged as the catalyst of change and it won’t be wrong to say that he had a big contribution in each of the 11 wins for the Gunners. The performances that he’s giving week in, week out has made him an indispensable part of Unai’s army and has also made him one of the fan’s favorite.

But there remains a serious issue that Emery needs to address as soon as possible.

Mohammed Elneny is the only option that is available to Unai Emery who can play a proper CDM role for the club. But his recent performances have been far from satisfactory. Lucas Torreira obviously cannot be a part of the team every single game. His body also needs rest and we must give him adequate recovery time in order to keep him fresh and fatigue free.

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Elneny has failed to live up to the arsenal standards and sadly hasn’t shown any potential for improvement. Therefore, there is increased requirement of a player who can play as a second fiddle to the Uruguayan Lion. A man who can do the job every time Torreira isn’t on the field.

We have seen what playing out of position has done to players like Granit Xhaka and the improvement he has shown when he plays in his natural role. Hence, neither Xhaka nor Guendouzi can provide the same kind of protection that a natural CDM will give to the back line because he will be comfortable in that position and the duties he must perform will come naturally to him.

This will also provide a healthy competition for the CDM place which will be beneficial for the side as a whole. There lies a great importance of squad players because a team cannot win big competitions without bench strength and depth in the squad.

The central defensive midfield has always remained a big headache for the Gunners since the departure of greats like Patrice Vieira and Gilberto Silva with makeshifters not playing up to the standards.

Torreira has already shown the importance of a proper defensive midfield guy and what worldly changes he can make to a team’s play. With that said, Emery needs to address this concern as the January transfer window appears on the horizon because there will certainly be times when we won’t have the cushion of Torreira and then, will come into play the role of a quality second option which can prove as life saver for such tricky situations.