Two decades. For a club as prestigious as Arsenal, 20 years without touching the Premier League trophy is inexcusable.
Mikel Arteta has changed the narrative in north London, pulling this club out of the rubble and making them genuine contenders. But contenders aren’t champions, and that’s the next step.
Two decades. Too long. But Arteta has turned things around, all right, and there is growing momentum at the Gunners leading to silverware.
Three times in a row Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League season, but last weekend’s slim victory over Fulham took them three points clear at the top, ahead of Manchester City and ahead of Liverpool, with the reigning champions having lost three games on the bounce.
Careful and calculated progress on the transfer front has built Arteta’s vision, and the signings completed this summer could prove decisive in finally returning the Emirates to glory.
The jackpot has been won several times, but Martin Zubimendi might just be the cream of the crop.
Martin Zubimendi’s debut in London
Arsenal have made some high-profile signings this summer, strengthening across the park and moving one step closer to the money-laden success the Arteta era deserves.
Zubimendi is the man who makes it all work, and he could come in and prove the signing of the summer – not just for Arsenal, but across the entire Premier League.
Arriving from Real Sociedad for £60 million in July, the deep-lying midfielder has added considerable dimension to Arteta’s engine room. He’s 26 and mature, and it shows.
Clean and rhythmic passes are his strong point. FBref data indicates that Zubimendi ranks in the top 9% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for completed passes and top 12% for attempted passes per 90. He’s a maestro, plain and simple.
Zubimendi’s work is a testament to the stunning success of people like Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. There is such balance in the Arsenal squad, and if they manage to get their hands on the Premier League title this season, Zubimendi will be hailed as one of the biggest difference makers.
Although Zubimendi has been one of the best number sixes in the top flight, some could rival him for that crown. Among them, a former Arsenal star.
You probably know who.
The former Arsenal star who rivals Zubimendi
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has made an interesting point after his struggling side returned to their winning form against Eintracht Frankfurt. He said an elite central midfielder forms the basis of a successful, title-winning team.
And at Arsenal, Zubimendi is that man, but interestingly Granit Xhaka competes with the Spain international at newly promoted Sunderland.
He knows the Premier League well. After all, Xhaka arrived at Arsenal from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2015 and made 225 appearances in the division before leaving for Bayer Leverkusen, then returning to English shores and taking up the captaincy at the Stadium of Light.
He experienced all the emotions at Arsenal, but left the club seen as an important part of its modern history. Combative, tenacious and never afraid to channel his power and strike on goal, Xhaka was virtually unplayable in his day, and Arteta will be happy to have found his new version of the Swiss machine in Zubimendi.
Now 33, little did most know that he would flourish after joining Regis Le Bris’ side this season, so late in his career and surely satisfied with having won silverware in Germany under the wing of Xabi Alonso.
But the new Real Madrid boss has fueled his lieutenant with a late-career fire for more, and, as the stats will show you, he has been an integral part of Sunderland’s success this season, going blow for blow with one of the division’s best in Zubimendi.
Having started all nine of Sunderland’s matches, Xhaka would make a compelling case to make the Premier League Team of the Year so far; the Wearsiders are fifth in the table and have lost only two of their nine matches.
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Zubimendi vs. Xhaka in the Premier League (25/26) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (* per match) |
Zubimendi |
Xhaka |
|
Matches (departures) |
8 (7) |
8 (8) |
|
Goals |
2 |
0 |
|
Aids |
0 |
3 |
|
Keys* |
69.6 |
69.9 |
|
Precise passes* |
53.8 (90%) |
44.1 (82%) |
|
Key passes* |
0.8 |
1.2 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
4 |
|
Dribbling* |
0.1 |
0.3 |
|
Recoveries* |
3.3 |
4.8 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
2.8 |
3.1 |
|
Duels won* |
3.5 (51%) |
6.2 (62%) |
|
Data via Sofascore |
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Zubimendi is not defined by statistics. He’s a huge midfielder, stylish and intelligent, and has even been hailed as “one of the best signings of the Emirates era” by Arsenal content creator Jamie Kent.
But even so, we can’t take anything away from Xhaka’s start to the season. The man was hailed as a “genius” signing for the Black Cats by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman, and you can see why.
Arsenal are happy to see him succeed. It’s nice to see Xhaka come back to England and do so well. There is one man who played a significant role in the rise of this outfit in modern times. He’s firing on all cylinders, but would Arsenal replace their Spanish summer signing with the veteran? We don’t need to answer this question.
20 years is too long to go without the Premier League title. Too long for a club like Arsenal. But they’re getting there, piece by piece.
It’s too early to say it with complete conviction, but the Londoners have as good a chance as ever of winning the title this year, and with Zubimendi orchestrating in the middle of the park, they could well achieve their goals.
