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There was a host of really good performers in Arsenal's penalty shootout win against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. Arsenal's brilliant run in all competitions continues, and it is clear to see the path this team is slowly taking.
No matter who is on the bench and who is starting, Arsenal almost always find a way to get through the tough bits of a game and come out with a win when it matters most. They have lost games, a couple of them, but this season seems a lot more different than any season in the recent past.
Even some of Arsenal's players on the bench come up with the goods whenever called upon. Arsenal's reliance on their stars does not mean what they can achieve with their bench players is any less.
The biggest difference between this season and last season is Arsenal's depth and quality in certain positions, and one of those positions is the midfield, where Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard have been really, really good.
Mikel Arteta’s praise for a recent Arsenal recruit comes with a clear message
Norgaard was one of the standout players from Arsenal's win over Crystal Palace, and he helped run the show against a really good team that won the FA Cup just a few months ago.
Palace are one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League at the moment, so it was definitely not an easy task to go up against them in a cup tie.
Norgaard, however, stood up to the task and was once again really, really good. It was so good to see him move with the ball exquisitely.
Arteta shared the same sentiment, and praised the star.
He said: “He did very, very well. I'm not surprised that when we brought him and we had those discussions, he understood perfectly what his role was.
"He's someone that, like Kepa, does everybody around the team much better. When you need him to play and perform, he does it.”
Fantastically put by the coach. Norgaard is not just a great player. He seems like a player who is just always there. Mr. Reliable. He has seemed like that since he joined the club in the summer, and with more game-time, this becomes more and more abundantly clear.
This comes with a clear message too. Norgaard knows what his role is. He is not a starter yet, but he knows what to do when he is on the pitch. It does not matter if it is as a substitute or as a starter. Norgaard has a plan in mind and he sticks to it. And those sorts of qualities are hard to find.