Arsenal: Hello, Stephan Lichtsteiner, nice to meet you

Arsenal drove home a clear result against BATE Borisov so conclusively that even Stephan Lichsteiner looked to be back in his prime.

Arsenal‘s resounding win over BATE Borisov was done without a lot of the usual cast and crew. Sead Kolasinac, the creation master, did not feature, and on the other side, Stephan Lichtsteiner did feature.

This year has not been kind to the aging Swiss rightback, with countless fans calling for him to never play another minute. It’s become apparent that playing fullback at a Premier League level just isn’t panning out well for him, though I’d argue that as a right-sided centerback in a back three, he still has value, for what that’s worth.

Against BATE Borisov though, he might as well have been 27 again, in his prime, because he was a man with a mission, and it seemed like everything he did was brilliant.

It all started with his clutch clearance off the line that prevented an away goal and a leveling of the score that would have been… bad. Chances are the Gunners could have rallied from it and still scored three, four goals to see this one home safely, but avoiding that necessity was the better option.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Lichtsteiner was a true fullback in this one. Like Nacho Monreal opposite him, he did a fantastic job getting forward with the ball and creating chances for eager attackers in the box. He defended his position to perfection and there was hardly a misplayed ball to speak of.

I get it, it’s only BATE Borisov. But they had a lot to play for and, especially early on in the match, they wanted it pretty badly, making things incredibly nervy for the folks at the Emirates.

And even if you want to discredit the whole thing because of the opposition, appreciate the fact that you can only make the most of what’s in front of you, and that being the case, Lichtsteiner deserves plaudits for excelling at his position in the midst of a season that has not been a memorable one for him.

It still takes gumption to go out there where you’ve had so many struggles, against a team that you have to beat or face unbearable embarrassment, and truly succeed on an individual level.

Lichtsteiner did that. Maybe you don’t want to make too much out of it, I don’t blame you, but much like it was with Ozil, just being reminded of what these guys are, and should be, capable of… it’s nice.