Arsenal: The best bit of Dani Ceballos is his worst moment

A brilliant interview with Dani Ceballos discussed a wide range of topics surrounding his move to Arsenal. But the best bit is his comments on his worst game.

You would be forgiven for forgetting your worst ever performance. It is natural to try and forget moments of failure, whether it in sport, education or otherwise. Losing is not nice, and as humans, we veer clear of ‘not nice’ memories.

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But it is these times of misery and mire that often teach us the most about where and how to improve. Learn from your mistakes is not just a wise old saying. It actually has a very tangible and substantial impact. And so, trying to bury your most miserable moments is not always a wise way to progress, especially in professional sport.

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This week, Dani Ceballos conducted a fascinating interview with The Guardian. The Arsenal loanee, who was flourished since making the north London switch in the summer, discussed a variety of topics, from his adaptation to the Premier League to life in London and his time at Real Madrid.

A part of this interview touched on the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, in which Ceballos struggled greatly. His discussion of the match — and his individual performance — was enlightening, to say the least:

"“I’ve never seen anything like what I saw at Anfield; I haven’t seen a team that plays better, that presses like them, the way the fans carry them along. They take the air from you. You spend so much time defending and when you want to do something with the ball, when you want to breathe, they’re back on top of you. They’re very well-drilled.”"

That match was unquestionably Ceballos’ worst in an Arsenal shirt. It is arguably the toughest game in world football, Liverpool having not lost at Anfield in over two years, their inimitable pressing style unique to Jurgen Klopp and his suffocatingly high-energy players, and Ceballos suffered greatly.

His touch was pressured relentlessly, the speed of the game seemed to shock him, unable to deal with the physicality and athleticism of the Liverpool central midfield, and he began to make mental mistakes also, including a pass straight to Sadio Mane in the penalty area that should have resulted in a Liverpool goal.

But Ceballos is not shying away from his failure. In fact, he is facing it head-on. He has acknowledged his struggles, recognised the unique, eye-opening style of Liverpool, and is obviously keen to learn from his experiences. And that is what world-class players do.

As Ceballos continues to develop at Arsenal, matches like Liverpool will be crucial to his progression. It may have been his worst moment thus far, but it revealed his best attribute: his willingness to learn and adapt, and that makes his prospects very exciting indeed.