Arsenal: Why Stephan Lichtsteiner is so quietly important

Arsenal aren’t seeing game-changing stuff out of Stephan Lichtsteiner, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t important. Quite the opposite, actually.

Arsenal‘s defense has been the subject of intense scrutiny ever since they surrendered over 50 goals last season for the first time in like… ever. They needed all kinds of help going into the summer, and not necessarily in the sense of transfers, but in the sense of philosophy. But transfers would have been welcomed too.

We got Sokratis and we got Stephan Lichtsteiner. Combined, they were 64 years old and cost all of £17m. Not exactly the inspirational sort of stuff you would hope to see to revolutionize a decrepit defense.

And yet, while they haven’t exactly “revolutionized” the defense, they have provided some serious solidity. For Sokratis, that means in the starting XI, but for Lichtsteiner, it means a much quieter, less defined role.

I have been nothing but pleased with Lichtsteiner since he arrived, even though he has only played 261 Premier League minutes. Because, again, it’s not just what he provides on the pitch that makes him so important, it’s what he provides in the grand scheme of things.

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It’s a foreign feeling, to have a guy so experienced and so hungry, just sitting there in the ranks, ready to be plugged in when there is even the slightest whiff of a crisis. Which… there currently is. Which is why we are being casually reminded, yet again, that picking up Lichtsteiner on a free was a stroke of pure brilliance.

He has played four positions thus far into the season: centerback, leftback, rightback and right wingback. All of them were played perfectly well, and all were played, barring rightback, in the wake of a budding crisis caused by injuries.

Lichtsteiner is a consummate professional that doesn’t just bring quality to the pitch and experience to the youngsters in the side competition, but he brings fire – almost to a fault, but not quite.

When you speak about the need for squad players, you can’t do much better than Lichtsteiner, someone who has won everything, has pretty much no fears, and has no problem standing up for his teammates, as we see quite often.

With the December fixture list picking up and injuries and suspensions flying around, Lichtsteiner will be more present in the matches coming up, and I feel 100% confident in his ability to uphold whatever position he’s placed in.