Arsenal: Stephan Lichtsteiner can rise to any and every challenge

Arsenal landed a serious weapon in Stephan Lichtsteiner, and even with Liverpool looming, the man can rise to that challenge. And any other.

I didn’t expect much when Stephan Lichtsteiner arrived. I expected a spiritual guide for an Arsenal team that could use a no-nonsense guide such as him. What I didn’t expect was someone who I would be lobbying for to take the starting rightback role by week three.

Maybe I was in the minority in that campaign, but even now, as I admit that Hector Bellerin should be starting, I still have the absolute and utmost faith in Lichtsteiner to rise to any occasion that is asked of him. That became clear in week one against Manchester City.

Called on to play out of position at leftback when Ainsley Maitland-Niles went down with an injury, Lichtsteiner did every bit of his job well. He even made it a point to make Riyad Mahrez as uncomfortable as possible and while it didn’t have larger implications in the scoreline, it still had implications in the moment.

Lichtsteiner is 34 years old, but in those 34 years, he has never lost his intensity, his hard-nosed approach to the game, or his general meanness. He is the kind of guy that you want to have on your side in any given occasion and that includes when Liverpool await at the end of the week.

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Arsenal most likely won’t have the speedy, attack-happy Bellerin when they take on an opponent favored to make a run for the title, and while that is a bummer, I would never expect it of Lichtsteiner to disappoint. I’ve seen too much of him over the years, and he’s seen too much of literally everything, to believe that he won’t be ready. Or that he won’t be adequate.

Lichtsteiner has built a career on rising to the occasion. He has won countless trophies, captained sides with immense talent, and displayed a level of leadership that we often dreamed about in the debt years.

That is the same guy that will likely be taking the pitch against Liverpool. He will understand what’s at stake and be up to the task. He will understand what is in his capacity to do and he will do it.

Maybe he won’t be able to outrun Mohamed Salah, or attack like Bellerin, but if he can defend like he has defended throughout his career, then there’s no reason we should bat an eye at this alteration in the starting XI. Give me Lichtsteiner any day.