Arsenal Quarterly Season Report Card: Hector Bellerin

We’re at the quarterly(ish) stage of the season.

The international break is here and it’s time for reflection, even if the Aston Villa result still weighs heavy on Arsenal shoulders.

Working our way up from Bernd Leno, we move onto Hector Bellerin. When a manager comes in to a club, first and foremost they need to improve the players at their disposal, and say what you like about either the right-back or the manager, but Mikel Arteta has done just that.

Operating in a new role this season, it appeared at one stage as if Bellerin may not even be in the country as speculation grew over his future. As it is, we’re glad he stayed.

The Good

It has to be Bellerin’s all-round improvement, particularly in the final third. Under previous managers, his pace would immediately warrant a touchline-hugging role with the onus on relentless overlapping. His pace is slowly returning, but Arteta has instructed him to pick inside slots to lessen the quantity of wide crosses.

As his tactical awareness and on-the-ball technique has improved, he finds himself playing on the other side of the 18-yard box down the right flank. Making more runs inside the full-back than outside, his understanding of space has made him a more dangerous outlet in forward areas.

Four assists already this season attests to that.

The Bad

It has to be the Aston Villa performance, where all the positives notes from his season to date vanished in a flash of uncertain application and Jack Grealish shoulder barges.

Nobody played well and Bellerin falls firmly into that bracket.

To use that display as a stick to beat the Spaniard with is grossly unjust, as he has been near faultless up until that point and one of Arsenal’s better performers this season.

Best Moment – Sheffield United Showing

Both assists for Arsenal’s goals against the Blades were of the highest quality, and less joyfully, also the last two goals scored from open play in the Premier League this season – nearly six and a half hours an counting.

The first was a lovely dink for Bukayo Saka after a fine team move, with the second demonstrating Bellerin’s improved footwork as he worked the ball onto Nicolas Pepe to drive for goal.

Hector Bellerin’s Arsenal Rating

A