Arsenal's trio of Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini are expected to leave the club after tomorrow's last Premier League match of the season at the Emirates. They have barely featured in what has been a disappointing season for Arsene Wenger's side. With a combined age of 101 years, their time at the club has come to an end as their contract expires this summer.
Mikel Arteta was an influential figure when he was signed from Everton five years ago, at a turbulent time for the club, he was a key midfield player alongside Alex Song, and later Aaron Ramsey for two consecutive seasons, and his absence from the side when he was first choice made it difficult for Arsenal to win matches.
His ability to both recent possession, and his calming influence on the team made him a key player on and off the pitch. However, his influence on the side subsequently reduced after he suffered series of calf and ankle injuries that restricted him to a handful of appearances in the last two seasons. As the curtain comes down on his Arsenal career, he would be remembered for the influence he exerted at a time the ship at the club was about to sink after the 8-2 trashing at Old Trafford in 2011. To many Arsenal fans, he should have been bought earlier.
Thirty five years old Tomas Rosicky, is however a different kettle of fish. He arrived at the club the year its switched from the ancestry home of Highbury to the Emirates in the summer of 2006. He was a key player with the Czech national team and Borussia Dortmund when he arrived, But, his ten year stay at Arsenal was plagued by injuries. He formed a midfield quartet with Alex Hleb, Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini in the 2007/2008 season. That squad almost went on to win the league, and the injury he suffered in January 2008 contributed to Arsenal's later struggles that season. That he returned almost two years after that injury showed the time he missed playing for the club.
He arrived at 25, admittedly the start of the peak years for a football player, but injuries meant that for the ten years he spent at the club, he only really played three years of regular football. One of his best displays in an Arsenal shirt was the FA cup match against Brighton last season, when he scored a memorable goal with the outside of his boot. His swashbuckling performance made Arsene Wenger to remark that, "if you love football, you love Tomas Rosicky"
In the case of Mathieu Flamini, the end of his second spell at the club is a case of mixed bag. He arrived with a point to prove, and he showed that with his first match back in an Arsenal shirt when he was instrumental to Arsenal winning 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013. However, besides other fleetingly good performance, any standout display were few and far between. But he would always be remembered for the brace he scored against North London rivals Tottenham in the League Cup in September.
It is the end of an era for these players. They have made Arsene Wenger's job easier as the Frenchman would rather watch a player that he fancies contract to run down instead being ruthless to sell such a player to allow for a more better player in their place instead.
Although, the trio were not first choice, they were part of the reasons Arsene Wenger declined to sign additional central midfielders that would have added depth to the team.
They leave with two FA cups and Community Shield to show for their time at the club. In the case of Flamini, it is three FA cups, as he won his first cup with the club back in 2005 in his first spell.
No comments:
Post a Comment