Martin Zubimendi was one of Arsenal’s most durable players in midfield to help them ultimately take the final step and lift the Premier League title.
The 27-year-old started 34 Premier League games for the Gunners last season after signing from Real Sociedad for £60 million.
He dropped out of Mikel Arteta’s starting side in the semi-finals and final of the Champions League when teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly dislodged him, although he did receive minutes as a substitute.
Arteta heaped praise on the Spaniard, highlighting the influence he had last season for Arsenal to reach new heights when he spoke to the media before his side begin the season against Coventry City at home on Friday night.
_“Without a doubt, he was one of the best players for Arsenal last season. I mean, without him, we would never have got into the position that we got in._
_“And he deserves massive credit. Certainly credit from all of us, all the coaches, myself and especially his teammates. We know that without him, we would never reach the level and the way that we competed throughout 10 months._
_“At the end, yeah, he didn't play that much. He still played some important minutes, but he didn't play that much. But, no one can neglect the importance of what he did.”_
Arteta wanted to understandably replace Zubimendi due to signs of his fading energy levels, perhaps the result of overplaying the midfielder.
It would have stung to be left out of the starting lineup for matches with such high stakes, but Arteta explained how he handled such conversations.
_“Well, I had various conversations with him face to face. First of all, for him to understand my decisions. He knew perfectly where they were coming from and he's extremely honest and a straight guy._
_“And he's so demanding of himself that sometimes it can be even too much. But, he knows that and he knew that we were going to add and increase the quality of the squad because it has to happen in every position._
_“And then when he got to the last stage of his season, he already played 55 games. We cannot have that again at this level. And he recognises that.”_
The Arsenal boss went on to dispel claims of Zubimendi heading for the exit in North London this summer to end a passionate defence of his compatriot.
Zubimendi only returned as a substitute in the Community Shield triumph, missing out entirely on minutes during pre-season despite not starting a single game for winners Spain at the World Cup.
A new season is now around the corner, and Arsenal have brought in a player who has exhibited the very qualities the club thought Zubimendi would initially bring to the Premier League.
Will Zubimendi fall down pecking order in Arteta’s midfield ranks?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Grinding down sitting defences was a typical exercise for the Arsenal players, particularly when teams visited the Emirates last term and in previous campaigns challenging for the top prize.
With the defence largely impregnable and stable, Zubimendi arrived to inject impetus and rhythm to Arsenal’s play rather than a risk-averse approach on the ball in central areas.
The then Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes ranked in the top five across the top flight season for defensive lines broken per 100 passes, while Zubimendi fell way short of matching his new teammate.
Guimaraes will bring a fresh tenacity and leadership to the dressing room as the Brazilian will be craving his first major piece of silverware in Europe, aside from the Carabao Cup he lifted at Newcastle United.
His output for the Magpies signals he can offer much more than covering ground and pressing hard since he notched 16 goal contributions for his former club last season, and registered four assists for Brazil at the World Cup.
Arsenal have kept a close eye on Guimaraes since the start of Arteta’s tenure and finally struck a deal once he pushed for a move away from Tyneside.
Another player contributing to the stiff competition in midfield is Lewis-Skelly, who Arteta insisted will be staying at Arsenal in his opening pre-match press conference, following the academy graduate’s links to Chelsea and Manchester United this summer.
Pick and rolls, driving through midfield, mastering the craft of earning fouls after bypassing his defender, and now picking out incisive passes.
Lewis-Skelly threaded through Riccardo Calafiori for Arsenal’s opening goal in the Community Shield less than a minute into proceedings, allowing the ball to roll across his body and invite Calafiori to make his decisive run.
There is no set formula to winning the Premier League nor any marks given out for how aesthetic the style is.
Yet, the Community Shield may have set the springboard for the Gunners to conjure better attacking efficiency and improve on their seventh-place xG ranking in the league from last season.
Arteta clearly sees Zubimendi’s value, but he might be hindering the title defence and his possible hopes to fine-tune his side’s style by neglecting the qualities of Guimaraes and Lewis-Skelly to operate under pressure.
It leaves Arteta plenty to ponder, especially against Arsenal’s closest challengers.