Arsenal: Pablo Mari Simply Displaying Competency

Pablo Mari has slotted in admirably for Arsenal next to Rob Holding in Gabriel Magalhães’ absence.

With the younger Brazilian now returning, Mari can reprise his role on the bench. It’s safe to say that when  Pablo Mari arrived from Flamengo that fans were unsure of his profile and bemused by the seemingly bizarre loan deal. The 27-year-old came with a decent reputation from Brazil and as one of the first real “Edu signings,” most sections of the Arsenal fanbase were willing to give him a chance to prove himself over a short-term loan.

Unfortunately, that good vibe didn’t last very long.

Mari made his FA Cup debut against Portsmouth and played the full 90 against West Ham in the Premier League, showing some decent signs of quality but by no means pulling up trees. Then disaster struck. The left-footed center-back promptly picked up a season-ending injury in the early moments of Arsenal’s diabolical Premier League defeat to Manchester City after Project Restart in June of 2020.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

It felt as though the wind was promptly and permanently taken out of the new signing’s sails and in a matter of weeks, Mari became the poster boy for Edu’s less than convincing transfer strategy.

All signs pointed to Arsenal writing the deal off as a failed experiment and allowing Mari to follow in the footsteps of Denis Suarez and Kim Källström. However, most fans were shocked when Mari’s loan deal was made permanent for a reported fee of £14m (there is debate over this) without the player really even kicking a ball for the north London club.

Of course, this wasn’t Mari’s fault. His injury situation was unfortunate, but he in no way deserved the odd vilification that seemed to ensue after he put pen to paper on his multi-year contract. Mari became a public whipping boy by fans and Arsenal critics alike who attempted to use the Spaniard’s sputtering start as an example of dire mismanagement.

It’s taken quite some time but Mari has temporarily shut the doubters up. After a lengthy rehab, Mari has seemingly come to the aid of Arsenal during the club’s darkest hour. As results began to nose-dive all seemed lost when one of the shining lights of the season, Gabriel Magalhães picked up a suspension for a red card against Southampton – which was compounded when the defender then contracted COVID-19.

With David Luiz‘s form and relationship with the manager both in precarious positions, Mari’s return from injury could not have been better timed.

Mari has slotted in admirably next to Rob Holding in the center of Arsenal’s defense and together the two players have overseen an admittedly short but desperately needed winning streak. Mari has proven to be a competent defender, with an impressive range of passing and aerial dominance.

He plays like someone who knows that this is the pinnacle of his career, and that to some degree he should be very grateful for the opportunity set before him. This graciousness could be seen when Mari wrapped his arms around Bernd Leno after the German keeper stymied Jorginho’s penalty in the dying moments of Arsenal’s massive victory over London rivals Chelsea.

Gabriel Should Start Over Pablo Mari

That reaction to Leno’s heroics was clearly the sign of a man who was grateful to have his blushes spared, and is all too cognizant of the fact that one bad game could easily see him sent back to the dog house posthaste.

That is exactly why Gabriel should, and in my opinion, will, slot right back into his starting position at left-sided center back. Mari has been a wonderful servant in the past few games but Gabriel is both the present and the future of the football club. The young Brazilian’s ceiling is just too high for him to be placed on the bench, at least in the Premier League or Europe.

Is Gabriel a perfect player? No.

https://twitter.com/PabloMV5/status/1348043929208369156

The 22-year old can be rash in the challenge and also has a zealous nature that may see the Brazilian over-defend in certain situations. Gabriel is desperate to win every ball and drag his team forward that sometimes his positioning can be left wanting, thus isolating his defensive partner. However, those mitigating factors simply do not outweigh the quality that Gabriel brings to the side.

Mari had a decent game against Newcastle in the FA Cup. The center-back’s passing was erratic throughout the 90 minutes of regulation and overtime, ranging from bafflingly poor to impressively tidy.

That said, the Spaniard went about his defensive duties very admirably, notching five clearances, three interceptions, and four tackles. Currently, in his prime years, Mari will surely provide Gabriel with stiff enough competition to keep the former Lille man on his toes.

Mari is vindicating Edu and Mikel Arteta‘s transfer strategy and showing exactly why two left-footed center-backs were sought after. The drop off from one to the other hasn’t been earth-shattering at the very least.

Mari is certainly coming good and he should be commended for his hard work and dedication. It’s been a very long time since Arsenal fans have actually seen competent depth. Especially at center back. However, we must not get confused, Pablo Mari is just that, depth.