Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has delivered his verdict on how Martin Zubimendi has taken to life at the Emirates Stadium.
Gunners off to a flying start to the season
After coming second in the Premier League three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta identified the need to strengthen his squad considerably in the summer transfer window, and spent heavily, bolstering his options in a number of key areas.
Viktor Gyokeres was arguably the statement signing, amid widespread demand for Arteta to bring in a new striker, and the Sweden international is off to a solid, if not spectacular start, having scored three goals in his opening seven league games.
Folllowing the departure of Thomas Partey, it was also vital to strengthen in midfield, and Zubimendi was among the most notable additions, with the Spain international starting six of the seven Premier League games up to this point.
As such, the Spaniard has clearly managed to impress Arteta, and he has also caught the eye of Gilberto Silva, despite the Brazilian admitting he wasn’t aware of who he was before the Gunners finalised a summer deal.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, the ex-Arsenal midfielder said: “Zubimendi, to be honest I didn’t know him before he came to Arsenal, but I’ve seen him in pre-season this year in Asia.
“When I see midfielders, the first thing I observe is the positioning. How they position themselves on the field. For me, central midfielders who don’t know how to position themselves to protect the back four and to give support to the guys in front of them, to facilitate their work, he’s missing something.
“He [Zubimendi] manages to do this very well. Also, he has very good passing. He’s been a big plus for Arsenal. He came, Thomas Partey left, but him and Declan [Rice] have become a new partnership in the middle, which is working very well.”
Zubimendi establishing himself as key player for Arsenal
It is no surprise that Arteta has started the Spain international so consistently, considering he has put in some fantastic performances in the Premier League, averaging a 7.33 SofaScore match rating, the second-highest figure of any Arsenal player.
The 26-year-old also won the Guinness Goal of the Month award for September, courtesy of a phenomenal strike in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, during which he scored two goals in one game for the first time in his career.
There were some concerns that Zubimendi’s new midfield partner, Rice, may have been ruled out due to injury, but the 26-year-old featured in England’s 3-0 victory over Wales, meaning he looks on course to be available for the trip to Fulham next weekend.
