Zubimendi was missing piece in Arteta’s jigsaw
MIKEL ARTETA likes to describe his Arsenal team as a puzzle – and it’s becoming clear Martin Zubimendi was the missing piece.
Arsenal spent £250m on eight new signings last summer and Spanish midfielder Zubimendi was the pick of the bunch.
Striker Viktor Gyokeres arrived with great fanfare as the man who would help the Gunners win the title.
But the first half of this season has underlined just how much of a difference Zubimendi will make to Arsenal being champions instead of missing out again.
This must be painful for Liverpool, who travel to the Emirates on Thursday evening, in the wake of Arsenal.
The reigning champions are 14 points behind Prem leaders Arsenal and their victory against them at Anfield in August seems like an eternity ago.
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The same goes for the fact that Zubimendi could have played for Liverpool instead of Arsenal.
In the summer of 2024, it looked like Zubimendi was on his way from Real Sociedad to Merseyside.
But Arsenal turned that decision around and laid the groundwork for signing the midfielder a year later, while also discussing a deal for Mikel Merino that summer.
Arteta played a key role in sealing the deal by explaining to Zubimendi why he should move to the North. London.
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The £51m transfer was all but complete by March 2025 – which stopped Real Madrid divert it in summer.
Zubimendi transfer now looks like a sliding door for the title this season race.
Arsenal’s midfield has been transformed by his arrival and Liverpool could benefit from his calming presence.
No player in the Arsenal team has made more interceptions in Prem matches this season than Zubimendi.
Jurrien Timber is the only Gunners player to beat him when it comes to tackles made, with Gabriel narrowly edging the Spaniard in aerial duels.
Across the league, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is the only midfielder to have completed more passes than Zubimendi this season.
There were fears the Spaniard would take time to adapt to English football – but he has taken over.
Arteta said: “He is such a talented and intelligent player that he picks things straight away.
“And when that happens and you have good players around you, that’s normally a good combination to be successful.
“It’s the position that ties everyone together. You know how difficult it is to do it in this league – immediately – but he was exceptional.”
No one benefited more from Zubimendi’s arrival than Declan Rice.
The Arsenal team gave Rice the nickname “the horse” because of the way he charges up the pitch.
And Zubimendi gave Rice even more freedom to stretch his legs and cover every blade of grass.
Rice wants to add goals to his game and Zubimendi should allow him to do so.
The Spaniard is happy to sit in front of the defense and break up play, giving Rice the freedom to advance.
THE England The star scored twice this weekend as Arsenal won 3-2 at Bournemouth and Arteta hopes it will be the first of many before the end of this season.
Rice said: “He (Zubimendi) is an incredible player. It was so easy to play with him.
“From the first moment we trained together pre-seasonI could just say I was going to play good football with him.
“He’s the Spanish No.6 and you know what the Spanish No.6s are like. They are the best in preparing for the first phase, turning the ball, playing forward and in the pocket.
“That’s exactly what we have with him.”
Zubimendi even started adding goals to his game.
He has found the net three times this season and one more will match his best season in front of goal.
This is why Arteta hailed the Spaniard as the ‘total player’.
Liverpool’s defeat was Arsenal’s gain.