When Unai Emery was announced as the head coach of Arsenal football club in the summer, there was a wave of optimism amongst the Arsenal faithful who had long been hoping for a change.
With Arsene Wenger no longer at the helm after 22 years, the fans have started attending games in large numbers at the Emirates Stadium. It had swathes of empty seats during the final months of the Wenger era.
With four games done and dusted, Arsenal has collected 6 points from a possible 12, with defeats against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea followed by unconvincing wins over West Ham United and Cardiff City.
When Arsenal parted with big money to land Lucas Torreira in the summer, many thought he would be the solution to the defensive midfield woes which have engulfed Arsenal for long. The Uruguayan had a solid World Cup, this increased the expectations of the Arsenal fans with regards the diminutive midfielder.However, he hasn’t started a single game so far with Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka preferred instead. That hasn’t stopped Torreira from impacting games when called upon from the bench.
Barring a solitary mistake against Chelsea, which let The Blues take the lead, he was outstanding in the other three games. He made significant contributions in the games against West Ham and Cardiff City with tackles, interceptions and quick passes.
In the last two games, his cameos from the bench were vital in The Gunners securing maximum points. Against West Ham, he provided solid protection for the back four which let his midfield partner Xhaka contribute to the attack with his penetrating long balls. The Uruguayan’s performance against The Bluebirds is being lauded by Gunners fans.
In under 20 minutes, Torreira made 26 passes and won 3 tackles along with his assist for Alexandre Lacazette’s goal, which proved to be the difference between the sides. The transitions from defence to offense are smooth and quick when he is in the team.
He is going to be vital for Unai Emery. He has the positional discipline, grit and passing abilities to succeed under the Spaniard’s system.
