At the age of 19, Josh Dasilva’s career with Arsenal was at a crossroads. After progressing through the ranks with the club he’d been with since the age of eight, he made a big decision. Turning down a contract with his boyhood club, Dasilva made the switch to Brentford. Despite a rough start to his time with the Bees, with some fitness issues, he has since gone from strength to strength. After signing a new four-year deal with Brentford in October, and some delightful displays over the last two seasons, it seems Josh Dasilva could be the one that got away from Arsenal.
Josh Dasilva Showing Former Club What They Missed Out On
Classy Showings
His match-winning performance against Newcastle United was not a flash in the pan; Josh Dasilva has been turning in displays of that calibre for over a year. After breaking into the side in the 2019/20 season, Dasilva had scored ten goals in 47 appearances, an impressive return for a midfielder. And again, his fine attacking form continued, scoring the winning goal in the quarter-final against Newcastle. Not only has his eye for goal stood out, but his propensity to drive the ball forward has too. Forming a crucial midfield partnership alongside Christian Norgaard last season, Bees boss Thomas Frank afforded him the opportunity to demonstrate his ability with the ball at his feet.
Dasilva offered what Newcastle missed sorely on the night. Instead of slowly playing the safe option sideways between defenders or attempting a ‘Hollywood’ pass, he showed more proactivity. His football brain seemed much more attuned than any Newcastle midfielder, as he readied himself to carry the ball forward time and time again.
A Player That Arsenal Could Use
Josh Dasilva showed a lot of promise while on Arsenal’s books. As some reports suggest, it was Thierry Henry who pushed for him to switch from being a forward to a midfielder. He scored 28 goals during the first year of his scholarship with the Gunners, always a player with a knack of finding the net. Yet, despite his progress into Arsenal’s U23 squad, he felt the time right to move on to greener pastures. Now, after trying to tie him down all those years ago, Arsenal could really use a player of his ability in the midfield.
Arsenal’s midfield, much like Newcastle’s this season, has been far too static and unimaginative. Mohamed Elneny doesn’t offer the same energy in the role that Josh Dasilva does, and plays the ball backwards far too often. He could, however, work as a more defensive partner to someone like Dasilva. Granit Xhaka is the other man to have appeared most often in Arsenal’s midfield, who offers more positive football. But, again, Xhaka does not boast great athleticism, and is susceptible to committing silly errors.
Arsenal need a midfielder who is more progressive than their current options. No-one in their ranks seems confident of driving the ball from the defence to fashion attacking opportunities. Joe Willock made a decent impression in Arsenal’s 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City but is still raw. Perhaps looking elsewhere for a fresh injection of confidence could be key. In that sense, Josh Dasilva could be the man Arsenal need to ail their midfield woes. Although, he alone will not be the answer to their wretched state.
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