Arsenal: Shkodran Mustafi has a world class defender in him somewhere

Arsenal had a lot of stand-out performers against Liverpool, none of whom were a more welcome sight than Shkodran Mustafi.

Arsenal‘s draw against Liverpool brought out the best in a lot of players, from Granit Xhaka to Sead Kolasinac, but perhaps the most welcome stalwart performance came from the ever enigmatic Shkodran Mustafi, who many fans are desperate to see sold off to anywhere but the Emirates.

And yet, against Liverpool, in the biggest match of the season, Mustafi was lights out. He was simply fantastic, and he did it all with tremendous pressure on his shoulders and without his usual guardian angel, Sokratis, there to clean up after him.

He didn’t need any cleaning up, though. he didn’t need much help at all, because he was doing it all himself.

No one won the ball back more than Mustafi and his nine ball-winning plays. Nobody on either side, mind you.

Nobody made more successful clearances than the German, showcasing just how seriously he was taking each and every threat.

Nobody blocked more shots than Mustafi either, as he kept finding himself in the line of fire, and never shirked the opportunity to spare Leno the trouble.

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Nobody won more aerials than Mustafi, who was literally untouchable in the air, as he seemed to win everything he put his head to (get it?).

Nobody completed a higher percentage of passes than Mustafi either. And, other than Granit Xhaka, no one touched the ball more, and no one more successfully, as he didn’t surrender possession a single time.

I said before the match that Mustafi has a knack for showing up in matches where a lot is on the line. He just does. Rising to the challenge seems to be one of his favorite things to do and he did it again here, reminding us, that, buried inside of the inconsistency, is a world-class defender who, when put up to the task, can handle anyone and anything.

There is something to be said about a player who knows how to rise to an occasion. It’s certainly better than the contrary – someone who can perform well until the pressure is on the line. It’s as if Mustafi is reverse-engineering the process, which poses a different challenge altogether.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – there is a world-class defender inside of this defender, and if Unai Emery can be the man to solve the puzzle, then we all win.