A special Arsenal mention to a surprise performance

Winning in the Premier League is never easy. Doing so when you’re missing players fundamental to your system doesn’t exactly aid your cause either, which is exactly what Arsenal had to deal with against Wolves.

Having had plenty of time off to recuperate and recover following the 0-0 draw with Burnley, those players who’d served suspensions were able to build up fitness while those with niggles could ease their way back into the fold.

Sadly that period wasn’t long enough for Takehiro Tomiyasu to shake off a calf problem, despite Mikel Arteta insisting he had been training ‘hard’ in preparation for the trip to Molineux.

That meant, to everyone’s collective concern, that Cedric Soares would be starting on the night.

A special Arsenal mention need giving to Cedric’s surprising solid performance against Wolves in place of the injured Tomiyasu

There will be no revisionism about the Portuguese defender: he is not Arsenal standard, nor is he wanted at the club on account of his agent, Kia Joorabchian.

Every now and then, however, we’re treated to a surprise. A pleasant one. Sebastien Squillaci once scored a winning goal for Arsenal against Stoke. Strange things can happen.

And while Cedric’s display in Tomiyasu’s absence wasn’t entirely out of the blue, sometimes you have to tip your hat and give credit where it is due when it does catch you off guard. He was superb.

Offering an entirely different profile to his Japanese teammate, the tactical demands on Cedric don’t differ too greatly, although the expectation does. He will get forward more than Tomiyasu, as despite the criticism he is athletic, but nobody sits waiting for him to win raking diagonal switch passes with his head and be a two-footed option in build-up.

Instead he deserves praise for what he did do, two rather fundamental aspects of being a full-back: defend well and be technically sound going forward.

The decision to move Calum Chambers on over Cedric was one borne out of opportunity. Aston Villa were willing to take him on and he was willing to leave. But stylistically, at the very least, he was the more suitable backup option in case of Tomiyasu being unavailable. Between him and Cedric, Chambers was the lesser of two average footballers.

Cedric’s response to being the manager’s preference as the second choice across the season has been uninspiring to say the least. So to come out at Molineux and defended resiliently, position himself far better off the ball and charge up the right to support Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard was just that, a pleasant surprise.

When Tomiyasu returns – which is hopefully against Brentford – Cedric will resume his place on the bench, but it’s a credit to his professionalism and hard work, that which has never been questioned, that he has knuckled down and produced a performance of that level.

Even if he is comfortably sitting on ridiculous contract, between now and him leaving that is the level he needs to maintain. Erring on the side of realism, that which is drawn from history, suggests this was just an anomaly. However, should fear strike again and Tomiyasu fall foul to injury for a Premier League encounter, we’ll be hoping it isn’t.

A very tidy outing from a much-maligned man.