Arsenal: The Shkodran Mustafi rebirth is more real than I thought

Arsenal’s defense is completely changed, and somehow, so is Shkodran Mustaf. This rebirth thing isn’t just a whim, it’s incredibly real.

Arsenal‘s rousing 4-0 defeat of Newcastle showed us just what this sleeping attack is still capable of, and they did it with a lot of the guys that many, myself included, counted for lost. Mesut Ozil, for instance, was tremendous, and Dani Ceballos was the main man. But meanwhile, at the other end of things, Shkodran Mustafi was being Shkdoran Mustafi.

But not the usual Shkodran Mustafi, where singular mistakes undo all his hard work and remind us he’s not good enough. No, this was the Shkodran Mustafi where he plays solidly for entire 90 minute segments, maybe makes a few mistakes, none of which are detrimental, and we end up with a clean sheet.

When Mikel Arteta started showcasing his faith in the German outcast, I thought it was just a novelty. A way for Arteta to make sure he didn’t leave any rock unturned. That way he could sell Mustafi in good faith in the summer.

And I think I speak for most fans when I say that expecting anything more was a bit foolhardy. We’ve been watching him for years, what’s the point in expecting him to turn around now?

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I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but in two matches now (small sample size, I know), Mustafi has been great. He hasn’t been otherworldly, or changing the face of this defense all on his own. But he’s anchored his spot, performed well enough to keep a clean sheet, and he’s showcasing how he can use his physicality without critical downfall.

I’ll admit, there were a few Mustafi-esque moments where he got spun around stranded, or where his distribution was a little off.

But the difference is these times there was support, as there needs to be. Before, it was Mustafi against the world, you beat him and who is going to help out? No one. But with the support of his teammates, including the unlikely presences of guys like Pepe and Aubameyang, this rebirth of Mustafi is proving him to be much more capable than he has ever been before.

Maybe this qualifies me as crazy, but I’m optimistic that Mustafi can still have some usefulness here at the Emirates. Does that make me crazy? Someone answer me. Also, if nothing else, we can drive his value up.