Arsenal fans are calling for Takehiro Tomiyasu to start against Sheffield United on Saturday.
Takehiro Tomiyasu produced an excellent performance as Arsenal battled to a 2-1 win against Sevilla in a Champions League group stage match on Tuesday evening.
Featuring ahead of regular starter Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, the £19.8 million defender was one of the Gunners’ best players against the Spanish side, particularly in the first half.
Zinchenko has regularly been excellent for Arsenal, performing an inverted interpretation of the full-back role and given license by Mikel Arteta to roam into the midfield zone and push forward. However, the Ukrainian is not the most solid defender.
Tomiyasu is far more reliable at the back. What’s more, he looks to be improving on the ball and has now shown that he can replicate Zinchenko’s inverted style of play.
After his display against Sevilla, plenty of Arsenal fans took to Twitter in a clamour for the Japanese ace to feature against the Blades this weekend.
Arsenal fans want Arteta to pick Takehiro Tomiyasu
Tomiyasu certainly didn’t do his claim for a starting spot any harm in Spain. In an appreciation thread for Tomiyasu’s performance, one fan said, “Can’t drop him now. Should be the starting LB in our team. Not Zinchenko.”
Another agreed, insisting that “he deserves to start every game going forward.” Another fan wrote, “the best Japanese warrior in the world. He deserves to start every big games this season. Tomiyasu was sensational today.”
The 24-year-old has been unfortunate with injuries in his time at the Emirates Stadium so far, but he generally delivers when called upon. His extraordinary versatility makes him an extremely useful asset for Arteta to have at his disposal, as he has featured all across the back line.
However, Tomiyasu may now be on the verge of nailing down a regular spot in what looks to be his best position. Few would have expected him to shine at left-back as he has at times this season, but it can’t be denied that he is pushing hard to take Zinchenko’s place in the regular preferred XI.
If he can stay fit, then the 36-cap Japan International will undoubtedly get plenty of game time this season. Whether Arteta has seen enough to start him in the Premier League on Saturday, though, remains to be seen.
The manager may feel that, given the Gunners ought to dominate proceedings against Sheffield United, the extra protection that Tomiyasu provides shouldn’t be necessary.
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