£58m Arsenal star is becoming ‘one of the best’

Arsenal currently have the players to compete on multiple fronts and win their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Mikel Arteta didn’t have enough high-class players in reserve to cover his major absences, and injuries completely derailed his pursuit of a silver medal last year.

The Gunners substitute bench in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes symbolizes this.

Riccardo Calafioli, Benjamin White and Leandro Trossard were introduced, while the other players at Arteta’s disposal were Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri, Jorginho and goalkeepers Neto and Tommy Thetford, as well as now-departed youngsters Nathan Butler-Oedeji and Jack. Henry Francis.

In short, there aren’t that many game changers. Dating back to this season, Arteta has regularly been forced to leave senior players completely out of the match-day squad.

Nevertheless, having said all that about depth, a guaranteed world-class starter is also extremely important. Declan Rice is once again shining like a beacon, but he is not the only player to become Mr Reliable at the Emirates Stadium.

Declan Rice’s new role at Arsenal

When Arsenal fans sing about Rice, “I got it for half the price,” they are only half-joking. Who can forget that free kick against Real Madrid? They were special, you know.

In the history of football, only 11 players have been transferred for more than £100m, but many ended up being genuine failures. I’m looking at João Félix and Philippe Coutinho.

The likes of PSG’s Neymar, Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish probably didn’t live up to the hype, but it will be interesting to see how Liverpool’s record holders Alexander Isak and Florian Wirths do at Anfield in the long term.

Meanwhile, Rice has certainly proven to be good value for money at Arsenal.

The England international has made 113 appearances for the Gunners, missing only three Premier League games, and scored his 17th goal for the club in the last game against former club West Ham United.

Initially signed as a holding midfielder, the longer his career at Arsenal became, the more freedom he was given to attack the final third.

Whether it’s set-pieces or corners, Rice is now a true box-to-box phenomenon, something he touched on during the international break.

Alongside Gabriel, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, Rice’s name is written in proverbial marker on Arteta’s team sheet, but could another underrated Arsenal star elevate himself into a similar category?

Arsenal star is becoming one of the world’s best stars

Arsenal have conceded just three goals in their 10 games so far this season, and are arguably the best defensive team in the world at the moment.

It’s no surprise that Gabriel and Saliba are getting a lot of praise, but Julian Timber’s performance can’t be overlooked either.

The Dutch defender, who joined from Ajax for £38m, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on his debut in the Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, but was not given a second look until the final day of the 2023/24 season against Everton.

Last season saw a major reversal in the right-back role, with Benjamin White sidelined for an extended period of time, so Timber started almost every game and played a total of 3,680 minutes in all competitions, an impressive number for a player returning from an ACL issue.

Now that White is back, the Englishman is unlikely to return to the squad due to Timber’s outstanding form, having started each of the last six Premier League games.

Tim Stillman claimed on the Arsenal Vision Podcast that Timber is “now one of Arsenal’s best players week in and week out”, and the stats below support this claim.

This table highlights that Timber is essential to Arteta’s team across the pitch.

The Dutchman not only ranks high for tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries, but is also in the top three for touch-ins, carries, passes into the final third, and key passes and chance creation.

The only player who consistently beats Timber in these metrics is Rice, especially as he is known as the ultimate all-rounder, but the Dutchman should be looked at as well. Like the former West Ham player, he is a warrior and someone who always delivers results when the stakes are high. They’re both very consistent people.

According to Football Transfers, the £38m paid to secure the full-back’s contract is now valued at around £58m, and given that he is only 24 years old, this figure is looking increasingly like a bargain.

So if Arsenal are able to achieve their desired results this season, Timber will undoubtedly be key to their success.