Arsenal’s unsung hero sparkles against Chelsea

The candidates for the Arsenal Man of the Match against Chelsea were announced shortly after full-time, and they included a couple of surprising names based on pre-match predictions. Among considerations were the often-unused striker Eddie Nketiah and Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny.

Nketiah’s contributions to the match were obvious. He took advantage of his opportunity to lead the Arsenal line and scored two crucial goals in an all-round excellent display.

As for Elneny’s performance, he may not have been as noticeable. But the statistics tell just how crucial he was alongside Granit Xhaka in the Gunners’ midfield. Club legend Ian Wright certainly noticed.

With Thomas Partey out of action due to a thigh injury, the Gunners are missing a valuable piece of the team’s midfield. A recent article in the Guardian points out just how important Partey is to his side: when he is in the lineup, Arsenal’s winning percentage is 65% compared to a dramatic drop of just 25% when he’s unavailable.

In Partey’s absence, Arteta opted for young Belgian Albert Sambi Lokonga in the starting eleven in the three games prior to Stamford Bridge. Sambi is young and inexperienced, and his performances against Brighton and Southampton were unconvincing.

After three consecutive losses and missed opportunities to lock up a Champions League spot, the match in west London took on new importance. Arteta chose to go with Elneny. It was just his second Premier League start of the season and, before kick-off, many were questioning the manager’s decision to include the Egyptian.

Elneny rewarded his manager ten-fold. He was at the center of everything. He never stopped running and continued to press and put pressure on Chelsea from start to finish. Elneny was everywhere.

Arteta has expressed confidence in Elneny in the past. Following a 2020 victory at Old Trafford, in which Elneny took part, the Spaniard said that ‘what Mo transmits to the team is special, he has this energy as a person’, words that could have been repeated on Wednesday night.

Despite barely featuring for Arsenal this season, Elneny played a major role in Egypt’s road to the AFCON final back in February. He started every match for his country and was named to the tournament’s Best XI, along with stars such as Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Edouard Mendy.

Elneny’s 90% passing success at Stamford Bridge was top among Arsenal players. So strong was his performance that he made Chelsea’s N’Golo Kanté look rather pedestrian on the day. That says something. Beyond his calmness and security in possession, he always found himself in the right place at the right time. Whether it was crosses into the box, first balls or second balls, his reading of the game, particularly in the second half, was terrific.

With the visit of Manchester United to come on Saturday, we’ll see if Arteta rewards Elneny with another start. Following today’s performance, he has certainly earned the opportunity.