Arsenal: Lucas Torreira figured out Granit Xhaka really quick

Arsenal new boy Lucas Torreira has already nailed the profile of his midfield mate Granit Xhaka. Now if only fans could see the same.

Arsenal have completed their dream midfield duo by combining Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka, and true to the cause, they have both been remarking how important the other one is.

Xhaka was quick to acknowledge the freedom that Torreira allows him to play with, which was echoed by numerous pundits out there. And now, Torreira has showcased his own astuteness by pegging just how important Xhaka is to a tee.

You can often find me right here, on Pain in the Arsenal, griping about how little respect Xhaka gets from fans. So to hear a teammate come out and truly nail just how important the Swiss midfielder is… well, it’s pretty refreshing.

Here’s what he had to say, after speaking up the improvements he himself had to make as time goes on:

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"“Granit is a player that I link up a lot with in the midfield and he covers lot of ground on the pitch. He occupies space really well and is important to the defensive balance of the team, which the manager knows. He’s an outlet for the first pass from defence and frustrates the opposition’s attackers. When he’s playing well, the team are going to win games.”"

I wrote prior to the Liverpool match (and prior to reading this), how Xhaka, when he is allowed to sit on his throne, can really make things happen. Maybe not big, glamorous things (at least not all the time), but solid, reliable things.

Stuff like playing through intelligent passes that break down defensive lines and leave opponents scrambling to play catch up. Maybe it doesn’t always culminate in a goal, but it absolutely can.

And, as Torreira points out, just being that outlet for the first pass is such an understated role. Giving our defenders someone to look for so they don’t just have to hoof it upfield and potentially turn the ball over – what’s more important in starting an attack than that? Answer: Nothing.

Torreira would know better than most how important Xhaka is. He has to play right next to him. It gives him a good vantage point. So yes, he would know better than a fan who watches him from behind a TV screen.

It’s a partnership to watch for the future. These two have a great chemistry already and it’s only going to improve.