It says a lot about Santi Cazorla’s importance to Arsenal that no other player has been selected as often for the Gunners first-team this term. In his debut season for the north London outfit, the Spaniard has featured in all of his side’s 29 leagues fixtures, with 28 starts and a single sub appearance to his name thus far.
Snapped up from Malaga last summer, Cazorla arrived with a reputation for the spectacular – his threat from long range and set-piece ability had lit up La Liga many a time, though a single goal in his first six league games suggested his settling-in period at the Emirates would be a gradual one. Handed a role in “the hole”, Cazorla also chipped in with a trio of assists over that opening period; an indication that his Fantasy contribution would be steady, if somewhat unspectacular. As Theo Walcott struggled to establish himself with just one start in the first 10 matches and with Olivier Giroud toiling under the weight of expectation after Robin Van Persie’s exit, Cazorla seemed the obvious route into Arsenal’s attacking options.
Come Gameweek 11, though, the Fantasy landscape started to evolve. Reinstalled to the first XI, Walcott’s blistering form saw him rack up returns and with his initial price having dropped, many Cazorla owners jumped on board the bandwagon as a means of freeing up budget. Although Walcott increasingly proved the more popular pick, Cazorla kept pace with his fellow midfielder and in spite of a move to the left flank to accommodate the returning Jack Wilshere centrally, has recently overtaken his fellow wide man in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) standings, scoring three goals in the last five in a spell where Walcott has failed to find the net. Having now produced double figures for the season, the playmaker has spoken of his determination to push on as Arsenal chase down Spurs in the race for fourth:
“I think a figure of 11 goals this season is good for a midfielder, but I think I can score more and improve in that facet of the game. It’s an aspect of my game I’ve always tried to improve. Last season at Malaga I hit nine and my target was to go beyond that. Everything influences it (the improvement in front of goal). You have to try and improve as an individual and, ultimately, if you’re better, the team makes you better too. It all works in tandem and you need the two to come together, the individual and the collective.”
The league situation could be a deciding factor for those eyeing up Cazorla’s acquisition. Having upset the odds with a valiant win at Bayern and followed that up with a victory at Swansea, the Gunners seem to have found their stride at the right time. The short-term schedule looks more than favourable as Wenger’s side now entertain Reading and also have back-to-back home fixtures over double Gameweek 33, as Norwich and Everton make their way to the Emirates.
While all of the top four are either still in the FA Cup or Europe (or both in Chelsea’s case), Arsenal have only the league to focus on – crucially, then, no rest and rotation can be expected at a time where the likes of other premium priced midfielders such as Juan Mata, Eden Hazard or even David Silva’s game time may suffer in their respective sides’ hunt for silverware. At 9.3, then, Cazorla looks an obvious like for like swap, while owners of Marouane Fellaini and Michu may also be eyeing up his acquisition if budget can be freed up – Fellaini is suspended for the next two while Michu has one goal in nine and has a blank Gameweek 33.
As the likes of Giroud and Lukas Podolski struggle for form or game time respectively, Cazorla, along with Walcott, looks key to the Gunners’ fortunes over the remaining few matches. There’s little doubt that the Spaniard is his side’s form attacker – a return to the centre as a result of Wilshere’s ankle problem merely heightens his appeal and the recent revelation on Walcott’s pelvic injury, making him a doubt for the Gameweek 31 Emirates clash with the Royals, has surely compounded matters.
While many are content to hold fire on their transfer plans, perhaps waiting for the result of the Chelsea – United FA Cup replay to get a clearer picture, Cazorla’s 23 point haul against Reading last time out makes a more than persuasive case for inclusion; he has received more transfers in than any other player since the end of Gameweek 30, though many will be content to wait until the upcoming internationals are at least out the way for fear of tempting fate with any acquisition.
