On the basis of Sunday’s 4-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, Arsenal might just have unearthed another star.
Mikel Arteta’s side strolled to victory against Igor Tudor’s outfit, battering their noisy neighbours in a chaotic game in N17. Eberechi Eze’s acrobatic effort gave the Gunners the lead before Declan Rice’s error presented Spurs with a route back into the encounter.
However, Arsenal’s superior quality shone through in a rampant second period, which witnessed a brace from Viktor Gyokeres and a second strike from Eze. The result sees the league leaders move five points clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Piero Hincapie has finally found his feet at Arsenal
Piero Hincapie was outstanding for Arsenal against Wolves, and he followed that up with another excellent showing against Tottenham. The Ecuadorian has taken some time to adapt to English football, but he’s certainly now found his feet.
While he’s consistently produced solid defensive displays, his on-the-ball quality and ability to impact the game in the final third have been scrutinised. Against Spurs, not only did he completely negate Archie Gray and Conor Gallagher down his side, he was also instrumental in Arsenal’s build-up.
The Gunners had a lot of the ball throughout the match, and thus, Hincapie found himself in possession constantly. Playing Gyokeres through on goal early on, he also fed Bukayo Saka with a delightful pass late in the first half – a chance the winger should’ve burried.
His technical quality is finally starting to bear fruit, and he’s starting to showcase his full array of attributes. Arsenal have missed Riccardo Calafiori’s offensive threat every time the Italian has been absent this season, until the last few games. This is a glowing indictment of Hincapie’s recent improvement.
In fact, the 24-year-old has now made himself undroppable, a declaration that few would’ve expected just a matter of weeks ago.
Piero Hincapie’s statistics vs Tottenham
Hincapie’s exceptional outing against Tottenham is reflected in the data.
In possession, the Ecuador international was integral to Arsenal’s ball progression. He was secure, completing 89% of his passes, while also being incisive, playing ten passes into the final third. On top of this, he showed creativity by laying on three chances for his teammates.
| Piero Hincapie’s Statistics vs Tottenham | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Touches | 56 |
| Passes into Final Third | 10 |
| Defensive Contributions | 11 |
| Key Passes | 3 |
| Accurate Passes | 24/27 (89%) |
| Ground Duels Won | 8/13 (62%) |
| Tackles | 7 |
Defensively, the numbers look impressive as well. Hincapie made 11 defensive contributions, including a staggering seven tackles and eight ground duel successes.
This was an immense display from start to finish, and another that increases the likelihood of his stay at Arsenal being extended to beyond this season.
