Arsenal: Where the new signings have really shined

Arsenal director of high performance, Darren Burgess, has praised the training mentality of Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka. The attitude is where the new signings have really shined this season.

Arsenal made a raft of new signings last summer. Five players arrived, three of which were immediately expected to start and another who very quickly established himself as a key first-team player. Largely, the business they did was excellent.

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Lucas Torreira now looks like a bargain, Sokratis has added a steel and bite to the defence, while Bernd Leno and Matteo Guendouzi could be starters at their respective positions for the next decade. Based on their performances alone, Arsenal’s work last summer was successful. But where the new signings have really shone is the shift in mentality that they have provided.

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This week, Darren Burgess, director of high performance at London Colney, was discussing some of the training methods at the club. Part way through the interview with Optus Sport, Burgess revealed who he believed were the best trainers in the squad:

"“I’ll tell you who I really like, the two central midfielders; Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka. I love the fact that Lucas Torreira, in every single drill, takes it personally if someone gets by him. I love that in him. Granit Xhaka is exactly the same whether it’s in the gym or on the pitch. Every moment counts and I reckon that separates the really good players and the top players.”"

It is clear that Torreira and Granit Xhaka are leaders by example in training. And this is where the change in attitude and culture comes.

Torreira has illustrated a relentless effort in matches, ratting around the pitch like a crazed cat chasing after a piece of string. And it seems as though he trains with the same intensity that he plays with. That kind of commitment and example setting changes those around you. And the same can be said for many of the other new signings.

Guendouzi, while vastly inexperienced, plays with a freedom and fire that few other Arsenal players have for many years. It is a major reason why he is so popular with fans. Sokratis loves to defend, fist-pumping a successful slide tackle. And even Stephan Lichtsteiner, while underperforming when he has played, has brought a winning fortitude to the side that was previously absent.

For all of the excellent tactical and technical improvements that the new additions have made this season, where they have really shined is in the changing culture and mentality of the squad as a whole.

Arsenal are ridding of the soft underbelly. They haven’t succeeded yet, but it is a weakness that is improving. And are a large reason for that is Unai Emery having players in the squad who emulate his ideas and attitude. Those players, many of them, are the new signings. That is where the real change has come.