As Arsenal battled for another win at Upton Park yesterday, the standout performer was not Alexis Sanchez, as it so often has been for The Gunners, but Santi Cazorla.
The Spanish magician won and converted a penalty, made seven key passes, had a brilliant shot saved by Adrian San Miguel and even helped out with the defensive work, including two interceptions higher up the pitch. Cazorla has produced some staggering form in recent months, and his man-of-the-match award was the climax of his achievements this winter.
Since Santi signed for Arsenal in 2012, his time in North London has been inconsistent to say the least: dazzling performances have been juxtaposed with indifferent matches where his effort has been questioned by the ever-demanding Arsenal fans and English media. His genius has always been evident, but his ability to produce it in abundance, as well as obtaining the skills required to hack it in England, have not.
His first season in the Premier League was not without criticism, but Cazorla was one of Arsenal’s star players during a poor season: he scored against the likes of Liverpool, West Ham (a beauty), Manchester United and Tottenham; scored a wonderful hat-trick at Reading; came to Arsenal’s rescue with a brace against Aston Villa; provided four assists in Arsenal’s 4-1 over Wigan; and generally immersed himself in Arsenal’s midfield as they secured Champions League football yet again.
However, the lack of a trophy since 2005 still loomed over Arsenal fans’ heads. As Arsenal endured a difficult summer transfer window, it seemed that Cazorla would once again be Arsenal’s key man in their bid to win silverware. The signing of Mesut Özil on deadline day meant that Santi was no longer Arsenal’s main man, but many fans still had him in their thoughts as the idea of the German and the Spaniard playing together had their mouths watering.
The 2013-14 season was not an unqualified success for Santi Cazorla. However, there were some magic moments, to say the least. Cazorla was heavily involved in Wilshere’s glorious goal at home to Norwich in September, after the Spaniard had recently returned from injury, and scored an expertly taken goal at home to Liverpool, before his sparkling performance away to West Ham on Boxing Day saw him end 2013 in style.
January saw the 5ft 6in star produce some of his best form to date: he scored a wonderful goal as Arsenal beat Spurs in the FA Cup; scored an excellent brace as Arsenal beat Fulham 2-0; and capped off the month with goals against Coventry and Southampton. In February he continued in the same vein, as he beautifully assisted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal against Crystal Palace, and started a further four matches that month.
March and April, however, saw the weak side of Santi Cazorla make itself evident. Despite strong showings against the likes of Everton, Tottenham and Manchester City, a new contract, and his winning penalty in the shootout against Wigan in the FA Cup Semi-Final, poor performances in defeats against Stoke City and Chelsea meant that some Arsenal fans began to lose faith and his Arsenal future came into doubt, according to the British media.
On the 17th of May, Santi had possibly his greatest moment in an Arsenal shirt to date. With Arsenal trailing 2-0 to Hull in the FA Cup Final, Cazorla’s sensational technique came to the fore as he scored an astonishing free-kick from long range to bring Arsenal back into the match. Arsenal completed the comeback in extra time, and the trophy drought was over.
Over the summer, question marks remained over his future: talk of a move to Atletico Madrid, amongst other clubs, refused to die down until the man himself announced in an interview at the unveiling of Arsenal’s new kit that he was happy at Arsenal and wanted to stay.
This season has been one of Santi’s best at Arsenal: he was struggling at the start, but has silenced all critics (for now), and been at the forefront of Arsenal’s attempts to get their season back on track.
I love everything about Santi Cazorla: from his smile, to his technique, to his pace, and even his hilarious appearances in some of Arsenal’s media work, such as “UnClassic Commentary”, all combine to make him one of my favourite Arsenal players.
Cazorla has done quite a lot to quash most criticisms of him: he has produced quite a scoring run; is becoming more and more involved in Arsenal’s play; and is even putting to bed worries that he is not tough enough for the English game. At Anfield, the majority of Arsenal’s team was, to be blunt, heartless. However, Santi was one of the few Arsenal players to commit himself to the cause. When Arsenal actually started to string passes together and make a move, he was always involved, including his excellent assist for Giroud’s goal. Not only was he excellent in attack, he showed real heart in defence—many Arsenal fans have accused him of shirking responsibility at the back, but he did quite the opposite against Liverpool.
Santi Cazorla has been in a staggering run of form in recent matches, and it seems that his Arsenal future will not be under threat for now. At thirty years old, he does not have long left at the top, but has a chance to achieve something truly special in North London. The future is bright at Arsenal, and there should be a number of trophies on the horizon at the Emirates Stadium. If he continues to play like this, he could be one of the most important players in Arsenal’s bid for silverware. Should this happen, he will surely attain legendary status.
Let us hope that this run of form will be longer than previous ones.
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