5 replacements for Santi Cazorla at Arsenal
Arsenal look a rudderless ship without twinkle toes Santi Cazorla in the centre of the park. The diminutive playmaker has become the most vital player in this Arsenal side eclipsing the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Laurent Koscielny.
And having missed him the entire season, it’s safe to say the Gunners are not where they would’ve been had he stayed fit throughout. Cazorla’s biggest asset is his ability to dribble past a few players in midfield and deliver the kind of pass that sets a forward in motion.
Granit Xhaka was brought into the team to help with the latter – his passing range being his biggest strength – but without his ability to dribble past players, the Gunners are often pressed high up the field and then punished.
Also read: 5 possible destinations for Mesut Özil
For Arsenal to continue to play like they have with Cazorla in the team, they’re going to need players who play like the Spaniard long after he’s left or retired. So, here are five deep-lying playmakers Arsenal could invest in for a safe long-term plan:
#1 James Ward-Prowse
Southampton are having a fine season in the Premier League under new manager Claude Puel. The Frenchman has brought about a lot of changes to the squad but his main shift to a more dynamic 4-3-3 has helped raise the level of performances of a bunch of players the fans love.
One of them being 22-year-old James Ward-Prowse. The English midfield combatant has been on a steady rise for a while now but having finally broken into the England senior fold and impressing on a week-to-week basis, it’s about time the bigger clubs started admitting that they’d love him in their team.
Ward-Prowse is not the biggest player but has quick feet and can find an accurate pass when needed. When coupled with a tough tackler and a more sitting midfielder, Ward-Prowse contributes high up the pitch in attack and that could benefit Arsenal a whole lot.