Arsenal: Sead Kolasinac teaching one of clearest lessons

Arsenal are being taught some very clear lessons thus far into the year, and Sead Kolasinac is teaching one of the clearest. Now let’s learn.

When Sead Kolasinac first arrived at Arsenal at the start of last season, he got out of the box so quickly that he was on the fast track to being named the player of the year. He was assisting left and right, he was owning the left flank with his speed and strength and there was nothing opposing clubs could do to stop him.

When he got hurt, things changed massively. Not just because his influence was removed, but because, even when he did come back, Wenger looks more interested in playing Nacho Monreal at the position instead of the Bosnian bruiser.

This year, aside from the injuries, we are seeing yet again that Kolasinac is such a crucial part of what the club hopes to do because he brings something that no one else quite brings, at least not in the quantities that he brings it – he brings width. And not just pointless width for width sake, but actual determined, deadly width. Width that leads to more than just pointless crosses to an undersized team.

Because Arsenal are an undersized team. Lofted aerial balls into the box are pretty pointless, and Kolasinac is clearly well aware of that, because that isn’t his M.O. at all.

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Every so often he’ll send one such ball into the box, but for the most part, he uses his width to completely bypass the defense and send driven, low balls into a box full of runners. It causes to many problems, and it’s why Kolasinac is our chief creator of chances.

What Kolasinac is teaching us this year is a lesson we already basically knew, but the way in which he is driving the point home can in no way be misconstrued – this club needs width. The narrow corridor of attacking through creative midfielders has its faculties, but in and of itself, it isn’t enough. If Ozil can’t succeed at it, who can?

But with width, with that stretched defense, the strikers have so much more room to operate, the late runners have so many more channels to run through and with deliveries like Kolasinac is capable of, the threat is always there.

In case it wasn’t obvious enough, it should be even more obvious now: This is a club that needs width, and needs it badly.