Arsenal beat Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday evening, and one player’s performance has divided opinion.
The Gunners found it difficult to break down Daniel Farke’s team’s low block in the opening half an hour, but finally got the breakthrough when Jurrien Timber headed home from a corner.
Bukayo Saka then doubled the home side’s advantage, before a second from Timber and two from Viktor Gyokeres sealed the points.
Noni Madueke’s performance was divisive on his first full start, but another new signing caused more disharmony amongst the Arsenal fanbase online.
Arsenal fans react to Martin Zubimendi’s performance vs Leeds
Arsenal signed Martin Zubimendi for £55 million from Real Sociedad earlier this summer.
Impressing in pre-season with a number of exceptional displays, Zubimendi produced an indifferent performance on his debut against Manchester United last week.
The Spaniard was deployed in a midfield trio alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard for the visit of Leeds, and once again delivered a showing that got Arsenal fans talking online.
While several supporters were enthused by how he complemented Rice, others felt he was sloppy in possession.
One fan expressed his concern online: “Zubimendi has been really poor. His passing has been miles off it. We need to move the ball so much quicker, and he’s the key to that.”
Another added: “Can’t tell if Zubimendi is nervous, struggling to adapt to English football, or bang average, but not too impressed thus far, whatever it is. Needs to improve.”
On the flip side, one fan raved about the 26-year-old’s intelligence: “Zubimendi might be a magician, bro, or a scientist of something. You know the kind of guy to measure the exact milligrams of ingredients while cooking. An exact guy.”
Another supporter posited: “You can clearly see the ability Zubimendi has. Moments where you can also tell he’s getting up to speed with the league. He’s going to be so important for us.”
Meanwhile, one fan wrote: “Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice fit like gloves. Their intelligence in and out of possession allows them to seamlessly interchange, know where to mop up and when to go forward. Both are fantastic on the ball, and tenacious off it. Arsenal could not have got a more perfect pair.”
Martin Zubimendi’s statistics vs Leeds
What isn’t up for debate is how involved Martin Zubimendi was for Arsenal against Leeds.
The Euro 2024 winner was at the heart of everything for the Gunners, taking 92 touches, completing 72 passes and completing eight passes into the final third.
| Martin Zubimendi’s Statistics vs Man Utd | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Ground Duels Won | 4/6 (67%) |
| Tackles Won | 2/3 (67%) |
| Accurate Passes | 72/81 (89%) |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Touches | 92 |
| Passes into the Final Third | 8 |
| Intercetpions | 1 |
While he wasn’t always neat and tidy in possession, he got Arsenal up the pitch with his passing and still retained the ball well.
He also got through a lot of defensive work, constantly winning the ball back high up the pitch for the Gunners.
Zubimendi is still settling in at Arsenal, but there are plenty of encouraging signs.
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