While Chelsea’s trio of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Oscar, along with Manchester City’s David Siva and Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling receive much of the praise among midfielders in the Barclays Premier League, Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla possesses the talent to be listed alongside all of the aforementioned playmakers.
Despite being 30-years-old, a time when some players tend to hit a wall and start to decline as a player, Cazorla hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In fact, the Spain international’s form is perhaps the highest of his playing career at the moment. The Arsenal midfielder has already scored six goals and added six assists in Premier League play so far this campaign.
Cazorla’s last 10 total matches are especially impressive. During this stretch of play, Cazorla has racked up all six of his goals, and four total assists (one of which was in the FA Cup clash with Hull City). The Spaniard has also picked up four Man of the Match awards during this 10-match streak and was awarded as Arsenal’s Player of the Month for both December and January.
There is also no coincidence that Arsenal’s run of form has paralleled that of Cazorla’s. The Gunners have only lost two out of their last 10 matches in which Cazorla has featured in (including four consecutive victories). In perhaps his greatest performance of the season, he ran rampant over defending champions Manchester City, scoring one goal and setting up another in a somewhat surprising 2-0 win over the Citizens on January 18th.
In spite of the fact that Cazorla doesn’t receive as much attention as Hazard, Fabregas, Oscar, Silva and Sterling, statistics show that the Arsenal midfielder compares to any of the best playmakers in England.
Cazorla has compiled more league goals this season than Fabregas and Sterling, more assists than Hazard and Silva, and more key passes and successful take-ons than Oscar.
Arsenal’s attacking midfielder is the complete package when it comes to the attacking midfield role in soccer. Cazorla’s vision and passing abilities are top notch, however, his best attribute is his close control (as highlighted here). It can be argued that the Spaniard’s footwork is the most impressive in the entire Premier League.
Cazorla is not only impressive on the pitch with his play, but he is also one of the most likable characters in the Arsenal side. The 5’6” midfielder always seems to be in good spirits and appears to be a fantastic teammate. Cazorla was even asked via Twitter why he always smiles and responded with, “because I am always happy!”
When the Gunners signed Cazorla from Spanish side Malaga in the summer of 2012 for a fee of under £15 million, there wasn’t much of a buzz amongst Arsenal fans. Nevertheless, looking back on the deal, it certainly appears that Arsenal received an absolute bargain for Cazorla.
