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Not many people would remember the 5th of June, 2018 as a defining day in the Gunners’ history. Yet, it could turn out to be one of the most important in Arsenal’s most recent history. On the said day, the Emirates welcomed ‘The Swiss Express’, Stephan Lichtsteiner.
However, since arriving in North London, the Swiss has only played a handful of games. Additionally, Lichtsteiner will turn 35 in January and he wasn’t able to get anywhere near Juventus’ team the last term, yet some sections of the Emirates hailed his signing as a masterstroke.
Thus, several questions were raised with the most prominent being: had most of the eagle-eyed enthusiasts missed something or had Arsenal degraded to such an extent that they saw a run-down, experienced defender as their only hope for resurrection?
Fortunately, for the Gunners, it is a case of the former.
Lichtsteiner started his career in his native country before moving to France. The Swiss enjoyed three solid seasons at Lille before moving to the tactical confines of the Serie A in 2008.
After promising displays at the Euro 2008, Lazio was his next destination. Three stellar seasons later, he was packing his bags for Turin and the Italian powerhouses, Juventus.
At the Old Lady, the Swiss arguably came off age. Lichtsteiner stayed at Juventus for seven seasons and won the Scudetto on every single occasion. In Turin, he transformed from a flying right back into an experienced and composed full-back, who became a perfectionist when it came to picking moments to attack and defend.
While Lichtsteiner surely progressed as a player in the company of Buffon, Chiellini and Pirlo, he also acquired the ability to stand out as a leader of men. Moreover, numerous Scudettos and domestic titles helped him develop a simple yet a very rare facet: the winning mentality.
As the name suggests, the winning mentality comes from having fared expertly at winning. Though the quality of the Serie A isn’t as high as the La Liga or the Premier League, 7 league titles on the spin isn’t to be scoffed at. At Juventus, the Swiss learned how to win and more importantly, how to win when on the ropes. While his current employers haven’t faced many issues with the former, the latter surely represents their Achilles heel.
Over the past decade, Arsenal have won 3 FA Cups yet they never really mustered a sustained title challenge. Most seasons started off brightly but quickly fizzled out as soon as push came to shove. The Arsenal side that once stood up in the face of adversity now seemed a mere memory.
With the club’s ability to fight in hostile circumstances under a huge question mark, Arsenal needed a fighter, a leader and more importantly a player who had looked defeat in the eye and brashly turned it into victory through sheer determination. And that is exactly where Lichtsteiner becomes such a vital addition in Arsenal’s quest to reclaim its glory days.
Since becoming a Gunner, the Swiss has appeared intermittently with most of his appearances coming in the cup competitions. Thus, leading many to quip: If he is being hailed as a potential ‘era-changing’ acquisition, why hasn’t he featured more often?
It is hence important to understand that Lichtsteiner’s role is not just restricted to hogging the touchline as a full-back. At the cost of sounding controversial, one could even argue that his biggest responsibility could be off the pitch.
The Swiss possesses tons of experience and has already started inculcating the new mentality at the London Colney training ground. A motivator of men, Lichtsteiner is a real asset when it comes to moulding youngsters and preparing them for a dogfight. While the work behind the scenes might still take a while to completely blossom, there have been some encouraging signs of late, suggesting that Lichtsteiner’s toughness has radiated positively among the Arsenal players.
In the heated environment of the North London Derby, Dier dared to celebrate in front of Arsenal’s substitutes and its supporters. The Englishman’s celebration was by no means the most provoking in a North London Derby. (Mr Adebayor once famously ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in the rival fans’ faces) Yet, when the Dier celebration happened, Lichtsteiner indulged in an act that was to ignite a sparkling comeback.
Quick to remind Dier that he had no right to do what he did, the Swiss made sure the entire Spurs roster knew that they were on Arsenal’s territory. A territory where such acts would not be tolerated and a territory which the Gunners would heroically defend till their last breath.
The said actions of Lichtsteiner and his teammates resulted in Arsenal being at the receiving end of a hefty ban. Yet, neither the Swiss nor the fans would’ve minded the Gunners getting stuck into their foes.
More recently, on Saturday, the right-back was involved in a needless bit of aggression after a particularly strong challenge on Torreira. The Swiss had no business getting involved but he did, and earned a yellow card for his troubles. While garnering yellow cards isn’t the smartest idea, wasn’t this exactly what Arsenal have been missing for years now: The unwarranted aggression, the gamesmanship and the ‘getting into your opponent’s face’ attitude?
These incidents tell us that the combination of Emery and Lichtsteiner have surely started ingraining a new mentality. For years, Arsenal were perceived to have a soft underbelly, yet this season, they have been anything but that. The new Arsenal, Emery’s Arsenal are no pushovers. The Spaniard’s charges are ready to fight fire with fire without even contemplating retreating.
A change in mentality is definitely on the way and Lichtsteiner has surely played a major role. For all his successes with Juventus, his stint at Arsenal could yet define him as a leader and place him among the pantheon of greats who have re-invigorated teams.
A proud winner, the Swiss will ensure that Arsenal never come home with their tails between their legs. More than the flowing football, this is what Arsenal fans want to see on a daily basis: the stomach for a fight.
In his short time at the Emirates, Emery has got a lot of things right. However, moving forward, the acquisition of Stephan Lichtsteiner could just be the most pivotal of them all.
Get your calendars out, Gooners and mark the date, 5th June. For all you know, it could well turn out to be the day when fortunes turned for the better once and for all.
