Santi Cazorla: The key to Arsenal's push for the title

Santi Cazorla – Key to Arsenal’s title push

The faltering form of Arsenal and their optimistic title charge has seen a bump in their prospects in recent weeks as star player after star player continue to lose their form and as a result the side have began to drop all too important points in the Premier League race.

Yet as Arsene Wenger’s side continue to bounce between victory and defeat each week, one player has emerged as the only consistent aspect of this troubles side. Santi Cazorla is their only in-form star and in the Spanish star they may now have to rely on the tricky forward for the remainder of the season.

At the moment, Cazorla sits in this side as what many would refer to as Arsenal’s key play-maker in light of certain players and circumstances ensuring that no one else is available to step up and create the chances that Wenger’s side needs if they are to continue their pursuit of the English championship.

The most striking aspect of the Spaniard’s season thus far is the amount of chances that he’s created despite the fact that this side is full of capable attacking players.

In 22 games in the Premier League, Cazorla has amassed a very impressive 41 chances for his side which then breaks down in to four genuine assists and 36 key passes. A tally which gives the midfielder just under two opportunities per game to help a team-mate score.

In comparison, other forwards in the squad struggle to keep up.

Aside from Mesut Ozil, who has a staggering 63 chances in as many games, the likes of Thomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey all fall behind with 19, 31 and 26 chances respectively, showing just how strong a season Cazorla is currently having in terms of concrete contributions to the side. If Ozil isn’t firing on all cylinders, the London club essentially rely on their little playmaker to come up with the goods.

Arsenal attacking midfielders – Comparison matrix

His importance to the side is also quite notable in the manner in which he has performed throughout the season over and above the simple arithmetic practice of counting passes and assists. For even though Cazorla may be topping the chances charts in this team, he also holds more Squawka awards than any other in the squad aside from Ozil again and Ramsey – two players who don’t look likely to add much to the remainder of Arsenal’s season.

In fact it’s this concept that we have to consider even further when we try and analyse just how much Wenger’s side will rely on such a player throughout the remainder of the season. As some of Arsenal’s key stars begin to stumble and fall as the title contenders approach the finish line, Cazorla has continued marching on at a quicker pace than ever.

If we were to consider the two graphics above that show the accumulative Performance Scores of both Cazorla and Ozil as the Premier League has gone on, it becomes abundantly clear just which player is offering more towards any form of Arsenal title challenge.

Even though Ozil’s diminishing standard is still more than comparable to Cazorla’s on a good day, it’s the direction that both lines seem to be travelling towards that should either encourage Arsenal fans or make them fear for the worst. Their German star is fading but fortunately their Spanish saviour looks as though he’s only just getting started.

How Arsenal’s midfield creators compare in terms of Squawka’s various Performance Score metrics

When we partner this with Ramsey’s long-term injury – a streak of bad luck that may come to be the defining turning point in Wenger’s season when we look back in a few years – the intermittent form of Rosicky, and the utter exhaustion shown from Ozil in the past few months it all leads to a conclusion that even the most optimistic of fans simply cannot ignore any more: Cazorla is Arsenal’s last in-form forward and may be their last hope for any success this season.