With Arsenal flying high in the Premier League and looking imperious in the Champions League, the narrative from rival fans has been that the North Londoners are boring to watch.
Now, it’s undoubtedly true that set-pieces have been an essential source of goals for Mikel Arteta’s side so far, but the suggestions that the Gunners are unusually dull fall apart when properly scrutinised.
For example, according to FBref, they take the second most shots in the league, play the second most passes into the penalty area, play the most through balls, and take the most touches in the opposition’s penalty area, all per 90 minutes.
Moreover, while Arteta has his fair share of physical monsters in the side, he also has an abundance of brilliant technicians, including one player who’s showing shades of Santi Cazorla in his game.
Why Arsenal fans love Santi Cazorla
Being the massive club they are, Arsenal have had plenty of brilliant midfielders play for them over the years, many who went on to win far more at the club than Cazorla did.
So, why is the Spaniard still one of the most beloved to wear red and white?
Well, there was that free-kick that started the side’s fightback in the 2014 FA Cup final.
There is also the fact that he played for the side during a rather barren spell, and so fans were desperate to see some genuine quality in the team.
However, while both of these factors certainly contribute to the high esteem in which the fans hold him, they remain secondary to the primary reason: his style of play.
The former Malaga gem was the epitome of an Arsene Wenger-type player, someone who was brilliantly effective yet also a crowd pleaser and a genuine magician on the ball.
The 40-year-old was seemingly able to do it all with a ball at his feet.
Ping a ball from one side of the pitch to the other? He could do it. Carry the ball through the middle of the park, beating four players in the process? Easy. Play the perfect defence-splitting pass to set up his striker with a one-on-one? Piece of cake.
Cazorla might not get the respect he deserves from rivals, but Arsenal fans correctly hold him up as one of the most entertaining players to grace the Emirates.
So it’s undoubtedly exciting to see one of Arteta’s signings begin to show shades of the Spaniard in his game this season.
The Arsenal star with shades of Cazorla
When considering who in the current Arsenal squad could be compared to Cazorla, most might look to Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, or perhaps even Eberechi Eze.
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However, while there are certainly arguments to be made for those three sharing some traits with the Spaniard, it’s Riccardo Calafiori who is showing shades of him in his game this season.
Now, the Italian obviously plays a totally different position to the former Gunners ace, but he still shares several similarities with him.
For example, and this is a negative one, the former Bologna star has had terrible luck with injuries since his move last summer.
In fact, he ended up dealing with six injuries last season, which resulted in him spending 175 days on the sideline and missing 30 games for both club and country.
Fortunately, the 23-year-old also shares a couple of extremely positive characteristics with the 40-year-old, including the freedom he is allowed on the football pitch and the incredible entertainment he brings.
While Arteta can often be quite regimented in his tactics and instructions with the rest of the team, it has become increasingly clear that he wants and allows the Italian to maraud all over and cause as much chaos for the opposition as possible.
This has become obvious from simply watching him play, but it’s even more evident when examining his heatmap from this season, which shows him popping up all over the place.
Crucially, though, the Rome-born “wild horse,” as dubbed by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, is making excellent use of this freedom, helping out attacks by stretching the opposition’s backline, popping up in the box and interchanging with his own attackers.
Amazingly, the £120k-per-week maverick has taken the second most shots in the league for the Gunners this season, and his underlying numbers only further show his attacking prowess.
According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of full-backs in the league for shots, the top 4% for expected goals, the top 7% for goal-creating actions, the top 12% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and more, all per 90.
Shots Total
2.11
Top 1%
GCA (Defensive Action)
0.12
Top 1%
xG: Expected Goals
0.24
Top 4%
npxG: Non-Penalty xG
0.24
Top 4%
SCA (Fouls Drawn)
0.24
Top 4%
Goals + Assists
0.35
Top 7%
SCA (Shot)
0.35
Top 7%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.59
Top 7%
GCA (Shot)
0.12
Top 7%
npxG + xAG
0.29
Top 9%
SCA (Defensive Action)
0.12
Top 12%
Touches (Att Pen)
3.29
Top 12%
Assists
0.24
Top 15%
npxG/Shot
0.11
Top 15%
GCA (Live-ball Pass)
0.35
Top 15%
Touches (Mid 3rd)
29.73
Top 18%
Ultimately, this combination of freedom to express himself and the ability to make the most of it is why journalist James Benge described Calafiori as “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” and why he’s the most Cazorla-esque player in Arteta’s squad.
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