Piero Hincapie sends double warning to Arsenal regulars as Mikel Arteta given selection headache

How apt that less than 12 hours after football.londonhighlighted how the signing of Piero Hincapie had been lost among the distraction of the international break, that his performance for his country in the early hours of Wednesday morning has drawn plenty of attention. A second clean sheet, but this time against the world champions, Argentina.

After his defensive solidity on show against Paraguay in the centre of defence, this time he moved to the left-back position, tasked with locking down the Argentine right. Gonzalo Montiel at right-back and Giuliano Simeone at right wing, the Arsenal man had his hands full but stayed strong.

He finished the game with the most interceptions (2), recoveries (5), and defensive actions (9) and was not dribbled past a single time by any player. Ecuador managed to shock their opponents and snatch a 1-0 win despite being down to ten men in the second half when Moises Caicedo was sent off, levelling the player count on both sides following Nicolas Otamendi’s own red card.

Playing at left back, he was not just defending and would be seen making his characteristic driving overlapping runs beyond the left forward. But he made some great tackles and interceptions, one sliding movement in the box to block a cross that looked bound for an Argentinian player.

His contribution helped claim the three points and moved Ecuador up to second in the standings on 29 points, above Colombia, Uruguay and Brazil, who are all on 28. It helped the small nation qualify for the next World Cup, which they’re hoping could be the best in their history after finishing above so many other big nations.

The new Arsenal man was at the heart of this qualification. He joins a roster of exciting talent from a nation on the rise.

For Hincapie, these performances undoubtedly send a clear message to the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, and Myles Lewis-Skelly that he is not coming to make up the numbers at Arsenal. He is coming to impress and establish himself in this Gunners side.

In just two games, he has shown what he can bring to two positions. But Mikel Arteta also needs to be more flexible with his team selection and be proactive in both rotation and his in-game management and substitutions.

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