Arsenal new boy Lucas Torreira played a key role during his side’s 4-2 derby win over Tottenham on Sunday. Opponents should be worried.
Combined XIs can make you look silly, can’t they?
Just over a year ago, Daily Mail journo Adam Crafton found himself in the middle of a Twitter storm after picking an Arsenal-Tottenham XI containing only Spurs players.
The subsequent result — a 2-0 victory to Arsenal — saw Crafton torn to shreds.
Arsenal’s official Twitter even got involved, sending the poor journalist a GIF of Mesut Özil sipping tea.
But a year is a long time, and celebrated pundit Tim Sherwood has seemingly learned few lessons from the tea banter of 2017.
On Saturday, the former Tottenham favourite revealed his own combined Arsenal-Tottenham XI ahead of Sunday’s match. Surprise, surprise, it contained only Spurs men.
“I tried to look everywhere but I just couldn’t find any room for any Arsenal players,” Sherwood explained. “I’m not being biased but I just couldn’t.”
Nor, it seems, could Sherwood find room for Spurs’ actual starting XI. Instead, the tactics expert chose backup midfielder Harry Winks in the middle.
Torreira’s arrival may be exciting for Gunners fans, but lord is it overdue.
Just look at what Torreira’s goal meant to him! Passion ❤ pic.twitter.com/iCPtgcsWpS
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) December 2, 2018
In fact, so desperate was the club’s need for a player like Torreira, the Uruguayan’s standout performance on Sunday might be taken with a pinch of salt.
The midfielder clearly possesses great attributes. He covers ground, makes tackles and interceptions and even popped up with a goal.
Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno called him “incredible”, a “fighter” and “so important for our game, for the whole defence”.
Emery says the midfielder adds “balance” to the side.
But his performance against Spurs does raise an important question: how many more victories might Arsenal have enjoyed over the last 10 years with any genuinely half-decent defensive midfielder in the team?
Fortunately for Arsenal fans, none of those questions really matter now. What matters is whether midfielders like Torreira, Mattéo Guendouzi and the much-improved Xhaka can maintain their current form.
Those in and around the Emirates are quietly confident.