Arsenal: All hail Sead Kolasinac, vanquisher of nightmares

Arsenal should not be having problems in the creativity department, but they are, and without Sead Kolasina, this season would be far more nightmarish.

Had you told me before the season that, come February, the primary chance creator at Arsenal would be Sead Kolasinac I would have asked you something along the lines of “Dear God, what has become of us.”

You just can’t imagine that a club with Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi, Aaron Ramsey and now Denis Suarez, not to mention Alexandre Lacazette and let’s loop in Granit Xhaka as well, would need to be held up creatively by a wingback who can’t really play an effective fullback.

It doesn’t bode well for the state of the club in the creativity department. Not because I’m not thrilled that Kolasinac has done so well, but because I’m astounded at how poor the rest of the team has been.

We were prepared for the defense to let us down this year – all year. But I don’t think anyone was prepared for what the biggest let down has been, and the let down would be so much more stinging if Kolasinac weren’t here.

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Everyone is talking about how we can’t use the back three, and how we need to sign wingers, and it’s all well and good, but in the moment, let’s build around Kolasinac and let him do the job that apparently only he can do, because everything else has failed, and it’s not like Emery hasn’t tried new things.

Between all of his creative midfielders, he has had options galore, and not once have any of those other options stepped up and taken control. They’ve all waxed and waned and, all the while, Kolasinac has been there, ready to be called on when necessary.

Look at the match against BATE Borisov. A horrible match for the creativity department, right? Not for Kolasinac. He created seven chances all on his own. More than the rest of the team combined. Against Huddersfield? Again, he and Ainsley Maitland-Niles carried the load, creating five of the seven chances that the Gunners managed all match.

This season could be an absolute nightmare if it weren’t for Kolasinac keeping the creation department afloat all on his own.

That isn’t sustainable. Injury concerns and the need for other options will always linger, but in the meantime, allow yourself a little appreciation for the Bosnian bruiser. He deserves that much.