Arsenal: Arteta remaining fit is key to Arsenal's hopes

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla of Arsenal at the finsl whistle during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on September 23, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Santi Cazorla might have shown creativity in the final third, Lukas Podolski might have got his goals going, even Per Mertesacker might be in the form of his life, but Mikel Arteta is and will always be the player that is key to Arsenal‘s hopes. He is the pivot that holds the shape of the Arsenal midfield. He might not be the fastest to the ball but he makes up for it with his discipline.

He is, just magnificent to say the least. That he has an overall of 81 in FIFA 13 doesn’t take away the fact that his presence in the midfield makes Arsenal fans heave a sigh of relief. Arsenal have only won one game to date when they haven’t played Arteta. The ankle injury he suffered in training yesterday, which might just rule him out of the Olympiakos encounter is a severe blow to Arsenal.

He is 30 years old and personifies a quality Arsenal have been missing over the years – experience. Youngsters like Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong lack that quality that he has- the one that allows you to read the game well and do the right thing always.It is this ability which allows you to make tackles that are razor sharp if executed successfully, or can send you out of the game if carried out clumsily.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 29: Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on 29th September 2012.

This is also the reason he is the vice-captain of the team.

At Everton, he had that freedom to go forward under David Moyes. But now, he is restricted to defensive duties. Unlike others, however, he doesn’t whine about it. He knows it is a privilege to play for a top team like Arsenal. So he goes about his job dutifully. That quality has been rarely seen in players that Arsenal have had over the last few years.

Arteta’s role at Arsenal can be summarised as a person who protects the back-four, who frees up his midfield colleagues with his discipline. A player of his calibre is rare to find and who knows, when he departs from Arsenal, his position might just become a void few can fill.