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Despite David Raya being awarded the Player of the Match award from Sky Sports following the conclusion of the clash with Manchester United, Arsenal had another unsung hero of the day. While there has been a lot of emphasis on Viktor Gyokeres as the main attraction of summer signings, it was Martin Zubimendi who stole the show.
That said, it was not immediately obvious that the Spaniard had been so influential. Clearly a player whose work might go under the radar without further inspection, it is worth taking a deeper dive into his game at Old Trafford.
Of the 12 missed opportunities and turnovers Arsenal had which football.london broke down in detail, Zubimendi was responsible for five of their orchestrations. Making interceptions, well-placed progressive passes, winning duels and heading clearances from United set pieces set up several threatening scenarios that his teammates failed to do better with.
Fans have already witnessed just how pivotal the No.36 can be after his excellent pre-season display against Athletic Club. He helped to set up the chance that would give Viktor Gyokeres his first taste of scoring in an Arsenal shirt.
Mikel Arteta described the game as a "basketball match", as both teams' failure to create many meaningful opportunities led to a back-and-forth aesthetic. For a player like Zubimendi, who likes his team to control the ball as much as possible and influence the play with possession and passing, he had to adapt.
Adaptation was always going to be key to the player's transition to the Premier League. England's top flight is a lot faster, more physical, and more aggressive than the time the Spaniard was allowed to play for Real Sociedad in La Liga.
However, we have already seen in a European final against England for Spain just how well the diminutive midfielder can step up. This has often been highlighted as the example for why the interest from English clubs has been so strong since he replaced Rodri in the final of the Euros and helped see out a third title in the competition for la Roja.
Zubimendi recorded four successful won duels in the game, winning possession five times; only Martin Odegaard (whose defensive work rate was also glossed over in the game, overshadowed by the disappointing attacking display) had more with seven.
Add Declan Rice to the mix, and Arsenal have three very good press-resistant players in their middle third. Behind them is the league's best when it comes to a centre-half pairing, and overall, they look very comfortable with what’s being thrown at them.
If Arsenal can get their attack right, adapt to their new players and become more efficient in the final third, there is a lot to be excited about. For Mikel Arteta, this season is all about silverware and he had the perfect platform now to take this side to another level with Zubimendi at the heart of it.
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