An Arsenal defender has been excellent this season, improving more than any other player at the club.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be delighted with the way his side have performed this season, as they sit on top of the Premier League table, clear by five points over Man City after they drew 1-1 to Chelsea over the weekend.
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The Gunners next face off against Brentford, but could be without both Gabriel and William Saliba due to injury problems, meaning that other Gunners defenders will have to step up in their absence.
Jurrien Timber has been a constant in Arteta’s defence this season, playing at right-back, and keeping the likes of Ben White out of the starting XI. He is arguably Arsenal’s most improved player this season, as he has been one of the best in the world.
How Timber has Transformed Arsenal’s defensive balance
The Dutchman has been excellent for Arsenal this season, helping them to be as defensively solid as any title winning side in Premier League history.
Timber has a great blend of aggression and physicality, but not so much that it is a detriment to his tackling ability and discipline. He showed against Chelsea at the weekend that he can easily deal with pacey attackers, and win the ball back with a calmness and assurance that many defender dream of.
Looking at his stats this season, Timber has an average match rating of 7.18/10, according to Whoscored.com, which is the ninth best of any player in the Premier League, and the fourth best defender, with Gabriel being the best.
He has refined his defensive skills, but is also great in transition play, and deserves as much credit as any Arsenal player this season.
Timber hailed as the ‘world’s best’ right back
In a recent interview, former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere said that Timber is the ‘world’s best’ at his position, which is certainly a consideration based on how well he’s performed this season.
Aliadiere said last week: “I don’t think there’s a better right-back in the world than Timber. When he first joined the club, I thought he was a good signing, and then he got injured straight away. I worried if his Arsenal career was over because I know how tough it is to come back from such a big injury.
“But he’s been great since he got back, and I know a lot of people prefer their full-backs to attack, but for me, he’s good at attacking, but he’s also strong at defending. He rarely gets beaten in a 1 vs 1, and he makes the right choice on the ball. When it comes to physical and technical ability, and then his decision-making. I don’t think there’s anyone better.”
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