#1 Santi Cazorla
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Arsenal’s Premier League win percentage is 65.55% when the Spaniard features in their team, and is just over 40% when he is not. That alone is enough to tell you how important Cazorla is to this Arsenal team.
While the absence of new signing Mustafi was felt in Arsenal’s last two games, the player that they have missed the most is, without a doubt, the 32-year-old midfielder.
Cazorla provides a certain balance to the team and makes the players around him better – the sign of a top player. Cazorla had an astounding passing rate of 91.3% in the Premier League in 8 games before he got injured in the Champions League.
Wenger has still not found a replacement for the Spaniard in the middle of the park, as he has tried different combinations and none have worked even remotely as well as he would have expected. Arsenal’s play has become predictable, and the return of Cazorla who is now expected to be out till March cannot come fast enough for the fans.
Honourable mentions
Danny Ings
Another cruel blow for the Englishman as he had his season ended for a second successive year in a League Cup game. With Sadio Mane leaving for the AFCON, a player like Ings was sorely needed by Klopp but now he has to delve into the market for a replacement.
Shkodran Mustafi
The centre-back has yet to face defeat in an Arsenal jersey. Impressive since he was signed, Mustafi has definitely been missed in the past few games and his partner Laurent Koscielny and the rest of the team will be desperate for his arrival come the New Year.
Duncan Watmore
The Sunderland and English midfielder was integral to the struggling Sunderland before an injury ended his season. David Moyes has said that he expects the player to miss more games, and the relegation battling team could very well do with a player like him in their next few games.
