Arsenal: Lucas Torreira dip in form not surprising

Lucas Torreira has not quite been his all-action self in recent weeks. But the Arsenal midfielder’s dip in form is not all that surprising.

Lucas Torreira is one of the most immediately popular signings that Arsenal have made in some time. Of the past decade, perhaps only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexis Sanchez have been as instantaneously and widely liked as the Uruguayan. That is a testament to the impact that he had when he first arrived in north London.

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However, more recently, his effect on games has diminished a little. This is not to say that he is in a poor run of form or underperforming. He just isn’t quite at the same all-action, grass-covering level as he was when he first broke onto the scene.

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In a brilliant piece on the official Arsenal website, Torreira’s story, developing as a child from Uruguay, through to his time now as a professional footballer for the Gunners and the Uruguay national team, Torreira spoke about how he is adapting to life in north London and in the Premier League:

"“I am adapting to many new things and I hope I can stay in London for a long time. The weather can be a challenge, of course, and the Premier League is, in my opinion, the toughest tournament in the world. You have to be physically and mentally ready to play plenty of games. We play every three days, then there are international games too. You have to make sure you take care of your diet and rest because our bodies are our working tool, but I absolutely love the challenge.”"

You forget that Torreira has never played in England before. You also forget that he is only 23 years of age. He was only 22 when he first arrived. He is used to an international break, is coming off a World Cup in the summer, something that he has never done before, and all the while is moving to a new country and learning a new language.

This is not easy. It would be naive to expect him to hit the ground running and maintain that same level throughout the whole season. His recent dip, and it is harsh to call it a dip given that he is still playing well, just not quite as brilliantly as earlier in the season, should not be surprising. In fact, it would be shocking if he was able to continue that level of performance.

It is often easy to forget that these players are human beings. Inconsistencies, when they have to move halfway across the globe, away from their families, adapting to a new city, new friends, new teammates, are natural.

There is no reason to be concerned with Torreira’s recent dip. He will be fine. In fact, it is not even surprising.