It’s easy to watch Santi Cazorla play football and become engrossed in his technical ability, but what he adds to the Arsenal team is more than just chance creation through ambidexterity.
The Spaniard has often come under scrutiny due to his age, wanted out by several fans for a more youthful option; while it is understandable that worries seep in when a player reaches his 30’s, replacing Cazorla would be insurmountably harder than just signing a creative midfielder.
Cazorla has recently donned the captain’s armband, and rightfully so. He is one of the very few players in the squad who can be auto-critical in news conferences – a huge positive when many tend to brush issues under the rug (something that breeds complacency). His authoritative tone makes him a natural leader, but what sets him apart from players that just shout and point is that he backs up his words with consistently strong performances. This forces players to listen and respect him – no-one will take orders from a guy who is shouting but playing poorly; just look at Thomas Vermaelen with the captaincy a few years ago.
One quick glance of Arsenal’s website and YouTube channel will tell anyone that almost all of the players deem Cazorla as the funniest in the dressing room, yet simultaneously mention how he’s one of the best players in the squad. It is clear that his presence gives the players belief and makes them want to perform at a higher level, so wanting such a presence to depart is bewildering.
The 30-year-old is a quintessential midfielder who, in Mesut Özil’s absence, is the only player who steps up to replicate the German’s influence. His chance creation numbers increase, emulating that of Özil’s, and his passes in the final third make a good proxy of Özil’s ability to choke teams inside their own half and develop Arsenal’s control of the game. Whether Cazorla does it to the same effect is debatable, but he is the single-most influential player regardless.
Yet, when Cazorla is the one missing, he is the player difficult to replicate. He’s one of the very few who shoots from distance, plays with complete ambidexterity that enables him to create chances and bamboozle opposition players with consummate ease. Notice how the system is altered completely, especially in midfield, when he isn’t available – there is an attempt to overcompensate for the lack of ingenuity, and creative outlets like Özil and Aaron Ramsey are forced to work twice as hard without that regular associative play involving Cazorla.
With the right amount of protection, the Spaniard is arguably Arsenal’s best central midfielder. He dictates and ups the tempo when the game requires as much, he links the midfield and attack more cohesively than his other midfield partners and he still retains that innate ability to score goals or register assists. Yet some would argue that, amidst all of those positives, he is better either on the wing or behind the striker – that is a true testament to his importance in this Arsenal team. Replacing him would mean signing someone with the same level of versatility, leadership skills and clearly younger – a near impossible task that should not even be pondered on until he clearly regresses. Cazorla stems from a Spanish generation of midfielders that can play at a strong level well into their 30s. Rest assured David Silva, Juan Mata, Cesc Fabregas etc. will all do the exact same. Arsene Wenger has adapted to this notion well, pushing him deeper into the midfield where he can execute the same style of play but with less chasing of the game and in a more relaxed manner. It’s one sole managerial decision that will both help Arsenal and Cazorla in the long run.
On his day, the Spaniard is one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League. That this is Arsene Wenger’s best bargain in the Emirates era is widely accepted as true, but going a step further and saying that it is one of Wenger’s finest bargains ever wouldn’t be farfetched in the slightest. Circa £16m for a now-leader, key player in the final third and regular high-performance starter is a coup of the highest order.
