Quiet achiever Nacho Monreal has become Arsenal’s Mr Reliable

Quiet achiever Nacho Monreal has become Arsenal’s Mr Reliable

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Arsenal have conceded 26 goals in 2015, the least amount of any club in the Premier League, and the Gunners new-found stinginess at the back has coincided with the resurgence of Spanish left back Nacho Monreal.

Signed in the January transfer window in 2013 from La Liga outfit Malaga, Monreal struggled initially to adapt to life in England, and had to contend with playing second fiddle behind then first choice left back Kieran Gibbs.

After being in and out of the starting lineup for the vast majority of his first two season’s, Monreal finally found some much needed continuity in his game, the catch was it was not in his favoured left back position, but as a centre back, a position the 29 year old had deputised in on only a handful of occasions throughout his career.

Injuries to key centre-backs and Arsene Wenger’s reluctance to strengthen in the summer led to Monreal being deployed in the centre of defence, a role the Spaniard openly described as ‘strange’ due to his relative infancy in the position.

Despite being thrown in the deep end, Monreal performed admirably, remaining positionally sound and refraining from making any glaring individual errors. These efforts still didn’t stop critics savaging the Spaniard as Arsenal’s early season struggles continued.

Seemingly used as a scapegoat for the Gunners woes, little did everyone know that this turbulent stint as a centre back would lay the foundations for Monreal to flourish back in his preferred home on the left side of the defence.

The return of Laurent Koscielny saw Monreal return to left back and from that day onwards he has not looked back, barely putting a foot wrong defensively and sensibly getting forward to join in attacks and utilise his excellent end product, forming an efficient partnership with winger Alexis Sanchez.

Monreal’s positional discipline and sense of when to make forays forward ensures there’s an appropriate balance between defence and attack, and it also gives Sanchez the licence to attack with full throttle without needing to constantly concern himself with defensive duties.

Sanchez & Monreal - Arsenal's left side has immense balance
Sanchez & Monreal – Arsenal’s left side has immense balance

The emergence of Monreal was the catalyst behind Arsenal’s strong finish to last year, where they won their second successive FA Cup. Monreal made a vital contribution by opening the scoring in the 2-1 victory away against rivals Manchester United.

After taking big strides last term, Monreal’s game has gone to greater heights this season, averaging 2.6 tackles, 2.9 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game, winning 59% of his overall duals, a vast improvement on his 54% last campaign.

The most telling statistic shows that Monreal concedes less then one foul per game, a testament to the Spaniard’s concentration levels, especially with the amount of high class wingers he has to contend with in the frantically paced life of the Premier League.

Individual errors are also scarce from his game. It is a major upgrade from the defender who is guilty of just two defensive blips in the past year and a half compared to the three he conceded in his second year at the club. Aerial prowess is also a key component to Monreal’s game, winning 61% of his headed duals, meaning he can cope when team’s decide to go route one and also dealing with set pieces.

Averaging a high 85% for passes completed, Monreal is very neat in possession with a magnet like first touch, meaning he can comfortably play out from the back and has the ability wriggle his way out of tricky situations.

Monreal has featured in every one of Arsenal’s 16 league games this season and has not missed a minute so far, highlighting how integral the Spanish international has become to Wenger’s side.

His assuredness and dependability has meant he has well and truly dismantled Gibbs as Arsenal’s undisputed first choice left back, and while some of his other team-mates are constantly grabbing the headlines, Monreal’s consistency has made him an indispensable figure in the Gunners defensive unit.

Monreal remains Arsenal’s unsung hero as he continues to go about his business with a minimum of fuss. After a tough initiation to English football he has well and truly found his groove and is starting to get the plaudits his reliability so richly deserves.

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