Player Focus: Cazorla Continues to Impress in Withdrawn Midfield Role

“It’s true that I had that doubt, but his quality was so big that I was ready to take that gamble,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of midfielder Santi Cazorla on Thursday. Given the Spaniard’s slight stature, Wenger was right to harbour concerns. Standing at just 5’5”, the physicality of the Premier League could have been enough to deter the Frenchman from sanctioning a move for the former Villarreal and Malaga star. 

Ultimately, it was a ringing endorsement from former Arsenal star Robert Pires that convinced the Gunners to complete a deal for Cazorla. “Robert Pires moved to Villarreal and played with him. Sometimes I asked Robert, ‘Are there any good players there?’ He said to me straight away, ‘Cazorla is a fantastic player’. So Robert was a scout for me!” Wenger’s move for Cazorla was certainly vindicated. In his debut campaign, the 30-year-old was Arsenal’s highest rated Premier League player (7.86) and was one of four players to reach double figures for both goals (12) and assists (11); quite the impact for any player in his first season in a new league. 

However, there was often an underlying sense that Wenger would move for a household name to occupy the number 10 role if a quality player become available and that proved to be the case when Mesut Özil moved to the Emirates in the summer of 2013. Keen to recoup some of the money used to sign Gareth Bale, Real Madrid allowed Özil to depart for pastures new. His arrival shunted Cazorla out wide and his influence waned somewhat, unless the German was sidelined for one reason or another, in which case the Spain international was deployed behind the striker. 

Nevertheless, Cazorla’s influenced lessened immediately after the arrival of Özil. The 2013/14 campaign saw the Spain international record his lowest WhoScored rating in an Arsenal shirt, with a score of 7.36 not a terrible return by any stretch, but still a significant dip. The attacker’s first team opportunities could have been limited further with the arrival of Alexis Sánchez last summer, with the Chilean an able performer on the left wing, the same position Cazorla occupied when Özil was fit.  

The successive arrivals of Özil and Alexis may well have seen Cazorla dropped from the starting XI altogether, with reports suggesting a return to Spain was on the agenda. Atletico Madrid were keen on securing his services, but ultimately the player remained in London. Wenger instead deployed Cazorla in a deeper midfield role alongside the likes of Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta. Initially, Cazorla struggled with the defensive demands in his new position. Given Flamini and Arteta’s advancing years, opposition sides found it easy to cut through the Arsenal midfield. 

It wasn’t until Francis Coquelin returned from his loan spell at Charlton and secured a regular starting berth that Cazorla began to impress. The standout performance came in Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Manchester City, where he gained a WhoScored rating of 10, his fourth in the Premier League. With Coquelin effectively shielding the defence, performing the necessary duties of the holding midfielder, Cazorla was able to press forward and support the attack. With Özil and Alexis both opening up pockets of space in the final third, the pint-sized creator was able to express himself further forward. Indeed, only Cesc Fàbregas (18) registered more Premier League assists last season than Cazorla (11). 

Despite playing in a withdrawn role, the Spaniard continues to excel. His WhoScored rating this season (7.77) is the fifth highest in the Premier League. Despite playing deeper, only Dimitri Payet (33) and teammate Özil (31) have played more key passes than Cazorla (29) in England’s top tier this term. While his redeployment could have limited his impact, the Arsenal star has taken his new responsibilities in his stride.  

The defensive side of his game has also improved, with his average of 2.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions both his respective highest in the top flight of English football since signing for Arsenal. Meanwhile, Cazorla has won possession in the defensive third more times (44) than any other player in the Premier League this season. His defensive qualities have been refined since he was dropped into the double pivot alongside Coquelin, with the energy of the Frenchman then allowing Cazorla to do what he does best in possession. 

Of course, there are concerns that Cazorla’s advancing years mean he cannot cover as much ground as he once could. With he and Özil in the middle of the park, there is a lot of responsibility resting on Coquelin’s shoulders. With his energy levels dropping, Cazorla would arguably be better suited in a 4-3-3 formation rather than Wenger’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation with another “runner” alongside he and Coquelin. Aaron Ramsey has the potential to fulfill such a duty, while unrelenting links with Sporting’s William Carvalho suggest this an area that the club are looking to invest in soon. 

For the time being, however, Cazorla continues to perform above and beyond in a more withdrawn role he wasn’t expected to perform in when he initially signed for Arsenal. The player's defensive duties have grown over time, yet haven’t limited his creative influence, noted in that only two players have played more successful passes in the final third than Cazorla (219) in the Premier League this season. 

Supporters and teammates alike must be hoping he can continue to impress in midfield as Arsenal look to secure their first Premier League title since 2004.

Continuing to impress in the Arsenal midfield, you can trade Cazorla's value with Buabook, the first player trading exchange based on detailed statistics