Why this midfield magician is vital for Arsenal’s Premier League run-in

Arsenal have won six of their eight home matches this season by the same scoreline – 2-0 – and it is when the Gunners have looked most potent, having won eight of their 11 home matches.

He has also created more chances at home than he has on the road and seems at pains to move inside from his job of nullifying the right side of opponents from his left-wing station.

The only two anomalies in this context are his performances at Fulham and West Ham United – both relegation fodder – when he created six and five apiece.

Against Manchester United and Everton, he manufactured precisely no opportunities and was also conspicuous from his absence in playing provider at Crystal Palace, Cardiff City and Aston Villa.

In the home match against Southampton, which Arsenal won 2-0, Cazorla spent the majority of his time (24.62%) in a left-back role, such was the high pressing game carried out by the Saints and Cazorla was forced to accept a reduced role to assist Kieran Gibbs defensively.

Santi Cazorla stats

At Upton Park, Cazorla was liberated and it was no surprise to see him register an assist. The central position he so desperately craves was where he schemed and weaved through the Hammers’ midfield (30.83%) and his 85% passing was hardly surprising because of that, culminating in teeing up Theo Walcott for a crucial equaliser with 15 minutes left.

Santi Cazorla stats

With the defensive partnership of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny going from strength to strength, Wenger has been able to release the shackles on one of his star attractions and even in the narrow wins at Newcastle and Aston Villa, Cazorla was still comfortable enough to move inside with 30.69% at St James’s Park particularly interesting but perhaps also explaining why the home side’s Mathieu Debuchy won rave reviews for his performance.

Santi Cazorla stats

How Cazorla must wish he faced Fulham every week, however. The former Malaga man’s virtuoso display featured a brace, five chances created, a 100% take-on success rate and a passing accuracy of 93%.

It was a similar story against Crystal Palace, with an assist and 91% of his passes completed.

Cazorla’s season has taken a while to get truly underway but manager Arsene Wenger is finally beginning to reap the benefits of his midfield magician’s wander into an area where he can wreak damage on opposition defences.