Five of the most underrated Arsenal players ever after Martin Zubimendi’s surprise shout-out

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Arsenal’s most legendary players are easy to identify, but who are some of the Gunners’ most underrated figures?

Underrated players became a topic of discussion after Martin Zubimendi completed his move to Arsenal.

Speaking to the club’s official media channels, the former Real Sociedad midfielder expressed his desire to ‘live up to’ the careers of the Spanish players that had represented Arsenal before him.

Zubimendi named the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla as two of many Spaniards who stand out in Arsenal’s history before naming a wildcard.

“Nacho Monreal too!” the 26-year-old said, putting the spotlight on Arsene Wenger’s former left-back, whose contribution often went under the radar.

So, with ‘La Cabra’ in mind – Monreal’s nickname meaning ‘the goat’ – here are five of the most underrated Arsenal players in the Premier League era. 

Five of the most underrated Arsenal players 

Nacho Monreal

Monreal was at Arsenal for six and a half years of his career, leaving in 2019 to sign for Real Sociedad.

Despite taking up a more sporadic role in the latter stages of his time in N5, Arsenal missed Monreal from the moment he departed.

The Spanish left-back epitomised what it meant to be consistent, which, while being a plus for Wenger, never saw him earn the headlines.

The former Arsenal manager commented on the lack of attention on Monreal when speaking to the media after the Gunners’ EFL Cup semi-final win over Chelsea in January 2018.

“For me he gets very much credit, but maybe there’s a bit less focus on him because he’s not a candidate for the English national team, he doesn’t make many statements or he’s not enough on the social networks,” Wenger said.

“But our job is about performance and I like the word of silent leaders. People who come, perform, they don’t talk, they go home and they come in the next morning, train well and the next day they do it again.”

Lauren

Next up comes a crucial member of Arsenal’s Invincible squad.

Playing 32 of the Premier League fixtures during the Gunners’ unbeaten season, Lauren’s contribution often falls under the radar.

The Cameroonian right-back rarely put a foot wrong, being a combative defender and a full-back who loved to get forward.

Often referred to as the ‘unsung hero’ of the Invincibles squad, Lauren won two Premier League trophies during his 241 appearances for Arsenal, leaving his mark on the club forever.

Gilberto Silva

A player described as ‘naturally discreet’ by his former manager, Gilberto Silva was one of Wenger’s most underrated signings.

Like Lauren, the Brazilian was a vital cog in the Invincibles squad but often took the backseat in terms of how he was perceived from the outside.

Gilberto was rarely spoken about, but when he wasn’t there, everyone knew about it.

Theo Walcott

Diverting back to Monreal’s era, another underrated Gunner appears. 

Theo Walcott is an Arsenal icon, but what he actually did for the club on the pitch is rarely spoken about.

The Englishman contributed to 178 goals in 397 appearances for Arsenal, paving his own path to stardom after arriving in 2006 as a 16-year-old.

For a winger in the 100-goal club at Arsenal, Walcott’s threat in the final third is rarely a topic of conversation, but it really should be.

Lucas Torreira

Lucas Torreira is different to others on the list, as he didn’t spend a huge chunk of his career in North London.

The Uruguayan was a Gunner for just two seasons, but his debut campaign was so pivotal to Unai Emery’s reign.

There was a time when Torreira was compared to Patrick Vieira, posing as the no-nonsense defensive midfield presence that Arsenal had been longing for.

Torreira’s time at Arsenal was short and sweet, but when in full flow, there were very few doing better than him, a memory that is distant but so powerful.