A number of Arsenal players were able to impress in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Leicester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side were almost entirely dominant against the Foxes, but Arsenal still needed two late goals to secure this victory at the Emirates Stadium.
It would be almost impossible to argue that the Gunners didn’t deserve to win though, as they created so many chances to score.
Gabriel Martinelli impressed Arsenal fans, as he bagged a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Ethan Nwaneri caught the eye with an energetic cameo, and Bukayo Saka broke yet another record.
There were also strong performances at the back. William Saliba made some important interventions, Riccardo Calafiori made an impact, and Jurrien Timber was able to produce at both ends of the pitch.
With Ben White still struggling with injury, Timber was deployed at right-back for this match. The Dutchman worked well on this side, instantly clicking with Saka, and getting forward constantly to deliver balls into the box.
Jurrien Timber becomes key creator for Arsenal
Timber demonstrated a great deal of attacking intent in this match, and his endeavour was rewarded in the first half.
The Dutchman recorded an assist as his low cross was swept home by Martinelli to put Arsenal ahead.
The defender did not rest on his laurels after that though, and persisted with trying to find a way through Leicester.
As per Squawka, the former Ajax man recorded the most chances created by a defender in a single Premier League match since the 2016/17 campaign, with seven.
Since that aforementioned season, the only other defender to have created seven chances in a Premier League match is Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has managed the feat twice, once in 2021 and once in 2023.
Whilst operating as something of an auxiliary playmaker at full-back, Timber now finds himself in excellent company, as Alexander-Arnold is one of the best creators that the Premier League has to offer.
As he was injured for almost the entirety of last season, Timber has had little opportunity to showcase this side of his game before now, but has now emerged as something of a secret weapon for Arsenal.
How Mikel Arteta must manage Timber and Ben White
White has been Arsenal’s established first choice right-back for some time now, and remains a hugely important player to Arteta.
However, he has been forced to play through injury a great deal in recent months. Timber has shown that he can stand in for the former Brighton man without the Gunners suffering due to his absence.
Timber’s quality is good news for White, as both players will require being rested and rotated at times to ensure that they don’t burn out.
However, this is a balancing act that Arteta must get right, as it is vital that both players are kept happy.
Timber’s versatility, which allows him to play anywhere across the back line, ought to ensure that he gets plenty of game time, meaning he and White can co-exist in harmony as important players in the squad.
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