Arsenal: Sead Kolasinac emblematic of Mikel Arteta effort

Sead Kolasinac returned early from an ankle injury to play against Manchester United. His effort and drive is the hallmark of Arsenal under Mikel Arteta

When I saw Sead Kolasinac’s name in Arsenal’s starting lineup against Manchester United, I wasn’t sure what to think. He had been in the injury report the previous evening, and I was expecting to see Bukayo Saka try to beat the United attack in a footrace for 90 minutes, a slightly daunting prospect. And yet, here he was, seemingly back from injury dead, in the starting XI.

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I was glad for the defensive stability that Kolasinac provides in comparison, but also slightly nervous about his stamina and agility. I didn’t think he could keep up, especially upon his early return from injury.

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As soon as the match started, however, he started to resemble Jordi Alba in his prime. He would rampage up the left, play an incisive ball or beat a man to continue an attack, play his part in possession, then sprint right on back to lock down Daniel James, who left the pitch having completed less than half of his dribbles and without a shot or key pass. And yet, during almost every stoppage in play, he would reach down, massage his sore ankle, and then start off on another rampaging attack. His resilience was remarkable.

His influence on the pitch was almost unmatched, especially in the first half. His assist for Nicolas Pepe was only the tip of the iceberg. Arsenal heavily prioritised the left side of the pitch in their buildup, with Kolasinac’s driving runs and one-twos with a similarly excellent Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil bewildering the United midfield. It is no accident that Fred, who was playing on the right side of the United midfield, spent much of the first half looking befuddled and confused as sizzling attacks charged by him.

Traditionally, and certainty throughout much of this season, the Gunners have been timid and conservative, capitulating late in games, lacking aggression and purpose in their play. But as his third-minute yellow card testifies, Kolasinac came into this game all guns blazing, and seemingly with a point to prove.

The rest of the squad has reinforced that point. Arsenal under Mikel Arteta will not roll over and die. Under Arteta, the team have played with tenacity and fire. Granit Xhaka has looked sharp. Ozil has worked defensively. David Luiz has looked confident and composed. Every one of the players in the squad has flipped the script on their critics. And Kolasinac is doing something more than that.

Ever since he fought off two armed attackers with his bare fists, we knew he was tough. But against United, Kolasinac brought something to the table that this Arsenal squad has not seen in nearly two years: perseverance. And perseverance is the keyword to describe everything that Arteta has instilled. The word capitulation, which defined Unai Emery’s managerial career in North London, has been flipped on its head, and nobody is more indicative of that than Kolasinac.

Now, nobody is perfect. Like Arteta’s Arsenal, Kolasinac (and everyone else) still has some wrinkles to iron out. But as Kolasinac so brilliantly illustrates, there is fight, ferocity, resilience in this squad, and that provides something historically unique: hope for the future.