Why Santi Cazorla’s injury is the end of Arsenal’s remaining title hopes

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Probably the most underrated player on the books at the Emirates Stadium is Spanish magician Santi Cazorla. The two-footed midfielder has the ability to dictate a game as well as any midfielder in world football. Since his injury, Arsenal have lost their control in midfield, their tempo has slowed, and they seem to be more negative all over the pitch than ever before. Many of the major newspapers are reporting that Cazorla is now out for the remainder of the season, and this is a huge loss for an Arsenal midfield which has continually struggled to dictate possession this season.

In December, metro.co.uk reported Arsenal’s win ratio without Cazorla, and with him. The Gunners possessed a 65.5% win ratio with Cazorla, compared to a 38.9% win ratio without him, since the start of the 2014/15 season. With Cazorla, they are averaging 2.1 points per game, and without him, they are averaging 1.6. The evidence pointing towards Cazorla’s importance is astronomical and Arsenal do not seem to be able to replace him.

While Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s tireless performances have been impressive, he lacks the experience that Cazorla possesses. His running is sometimes aimless rather than purposeful and he is much more error prone and likely to be dispossessed in the centre of the park than his Spanish colleague. Granit Xhaka has not looked worth his £35 million price tag since arriving in North London, and although his fiery playing style has added a bit of needed passion to the Arsenal midfield, the experience, again, just isn’t there.

Francis Coquelin wins the ball back well but cannot pick a forward pass half as well as Chamberlain, and Aaron Ramsey seems to be as riddled with injury as Cazorla. While Mohamed Elneny has come on leaps and bounds since arriving in the capital, he also lacks the experience to turn Arsenal’s midfield into the league’s best. The one man who might have been able to fill Cazorla’s boots, at least partially, is Jack Wilshere who is currently on loan at Bournemouth. The Englishman’s performances have been consistent, and you can always rely on Wilshere to pick out a positive pass. While he has been off the pitch with injuries -for what seems like an eternity -when fit he has always been a reliable presence in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield.

However, there is no recall clause in Wilshere’s contract and there certainly seems to be a strong chance of him leaving in the summer. The 25-year-old is in his prime, but his future at Arsenal is in doubt, so Arsene Wenger – if he is to remain at the club – is going to have to find a long-term replacement, or at the very least a backup. The Premier League title race is nothing more than a distant dream because of Chelsea’s dominant 10 point lead, but Arsenal fans will be hoping that the fading season can be salvaged by an FA Cup campaign and a top four finish.

Cazorla’s absence was most notable against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League. He never shies away from the big games – a problem that has been most evident in players such as Mesut Özil and Francis Coquelin. In Germany, the Arsenal midfield were completely outclassed and outplayed by Xabi Alonso, Arturo Vidal and Thiago Alcântara, who are all constantly on the move and determined to be positive in possession. That has been a huge problem for the Gunners. Their negativity on the ball naturally invites teams to press them and they are too often forced into a mistake. The key is composure, something that the likes of Xabi Alonso and Santi Cazorla have in abundance.

Overall, Santi Cazorla is pivotal to how Arsenal play and Wenger will be devastated to hear that he is ruled out for up to eight months. The 32-year-old’s absence will truly be felt for the rest of the season, and it will be interesting to see if the Arsenal midfield can cope without his class, positivity, knowledge, experience, and passing range.

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