Keiran Gibbs is becoming a key man for Arsenal

Keiran Gibbs

When Arsene Wenger splashed £8 million on Spain international Nacho Monreal back in January many expected him to be the club’s long term solution at left-back. Andre Santos had found himself being rained on with criticism and Kieran Gibbs was seemingly constructed from glass, so their respective Arsenal careers were unclear. Fast forward a year, however, and the latter has established himself as one of the first names on the Gunners’ team sheet and is enjoying arguably the form of his life.

Gibb’s ability was never in doubt, but his horrific injury record was stunting his progression in north London. Now, with a clean bill of health and a string of games under his belt, he finds himself as one of only four Arsenal players to appear in all 12 Premier League games, and he is flourishing because of it.

The noticeable run of form has also warranted the 24-year-old with a recent call up to the England squad, though he still sits firmly behind Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines in the pecking order.

It’s Gibbs’ pace that sets him apart from other full-backs. While Arsenal have been found out a few times in the centre of defence this season, Gibbs’ speed has allowed him to track back and cover whoever is playing inside of him. His positional sense is often strong, also, but on the rare occasion that an opponent gets in behind him he has the energy levels to make up the ground.

He has averaged six defensive actions per game this season in the league, a tally which matches that of Per Mertesacker and Bacary Sagna’s, while being successful in 64% of his tackles. His average number of duels doubles to 12 per game in the Champions League, however, as he has come up against a higher calibre of winger.

Arsenal’s average success in duels this season

Gibbs is a player who enjoying bursting forward, and although he has made just two key passes this season, he has been hugely beneficial to the Gunners’ attack. His heat map from his latest outing, the 1-0 loss up at Old Trafford, shows just how much ground he covers down the left, while his range of passing during the tie gives you a glimpse into how he links up with the more offensive players.

His determination to work the flank is refreshing to watch. When he strides into the opposition half he’s always got an eye on proceedings behind him and is willing to revert back into a defensive frame of mind when needs be, which is crucial to how the Gunners operate.

The way Gibbs has handled himself in Europe has been a huge factor to the plaudits he has received. Not only did he have a hand in both Arsenal goals in their 2-1 victory over Marseille in their opening game but he was a key factor in keeping Borussia Dortmund’s lead to a single goal in the 2-1 loss at the Emirates. Gibbs made nine clearances, seven interceptions and completed 3/3 of his tackles, as well as winning both of his headed duels. He also completed 89% of his 61 passes in the clash in what was a game to remember for the full-back in terms of individual performances.

The inspiring form that he is currently displaying is something that most expected would come earlier in his career, but for the 24-year-old, and Roy Hodgson, it has arrived at just the right time.