Arsenal Vs Burnley: The infuriating Shkodran Mustafi

Shkodran Mustafi recovered from recent mistakes to put in an excellent performance against Burnley. That the Arsenal defender is capable is why he is so frustrating.

For a player of such frequency of back-breaking mistakes, it is curious to say that Shkodran Mustafi has all of the skills that you would want in a modern-day centre-back. Surely, the product he puts on the pitch is proof enough that he does not, right? Well, not quite.

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The Arsenal central defender is perfectly built for the modern game: quick across the ground, aggressive in his attempts to recover possession, athletic in aerial duels and ground duels, an able tackler, comfortable on the ball. He has many of the qualities that a club looks for in a centre-back for today.

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This is part of the frustrating enigma that makes up the German. On paper, he should be more than a capable centre-back. Athletically, technically, he is perfectly suited to the position, especially in the way it is played in recent years. And yet, there is a crucial third aspect that comprises a footballer, one that Mustafi is severely lacking: the mind.

Whether it be lapses in concentration, poor reading of the game, dumbfounded errors due to the pressure of the situation, or other mental shortcomings, Mustafi continues to make decision-making based errors. It is what leads him to being such an inconsistent performer.

But when he does put it all together, he can perform at a high level. Even in last week’s 2-2 draw against Chelsea in which he committed the crucial error in the match that led to David Luiz’s sending off, Mustafi responded with an excellent final hour. And on Sunday afternoon, in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw against Burnley, Mustafi was again excellent.

He won seven aerial duels, the most of the match, made seven clearances, the joint-highest, two interceptions, one tackle, and six accurate long passes — this last stat follows a performance versus Bournemouth in the FA Cup in which Mustafi looked like prime Franz Beckenbauer. He did not lose an aerial duel, fail in a tackle attempt or clearance.

Speaking after the match, head coach Mikel Arteta was extremely pleased with Mustafi’s performance and response:

"“Yes. I said to him that he could make a mistake but I like his reaction afterwards and the courage he had to play and make decisions. He’s been training really well and I think you could see today how good he was.”"

But this is the Mustafi enigma. When he produces performances like against Burnley and Bournemouth, the belief that he can turn into a solid central defender returns. And then he makes a mistake like his underhit backpass against Chelsea. For centre-backs, consistency is king, and Mustafi is painfully inconsistent.

For now, Mustafi’s renaissance is a wonderful sign of Arteta’s coaching and the quality that he does possess. But whether that means he can be a sustained solution in the heart of the Arsenal defence, it is much more difficult to say. After all, we have been here before.