The fall, rise, and rise of Arsenal's Nacho Monreal

The fall, rise, and rise of Arsenal's Nacho Monreal

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Nacho Monreal celebrated his birthday this week, hitting the big three-oh while undoubtedly in the best playing form of his footballing career. Bought from Malaga in the January of 2013, Monreal has braved the rough-and-tumble blizzard that the Premier League throws up for all foreign plyers, battled through demoralizing periods on the bench, stomached out-of-position stints at centre back, and overcome the cesspool of challenges to play with a consistency and reliability arguably unmatched in England this season. As Nacho deservedly celebrates his cumpleanos with paella and pastry, let us look back at his rise through the ranks over the last three seasons.

Battle and Bench

Arsenal are usually known for their extensive scouting and groundwork before parting with money for a player, but the January deadline day purchase was a cautious cake topped with a cherry of desperation. Kieran Gibbs had picked up an injury, and Andre Santos kept breaking into a spirited impersonation of a circus clown whenever called upon. Monreal’s arrival ended Santos’s Arsenal career in one fell swoop, and 10 starts between his arrival and May represented a decent return for a mid-season buy. A crowning memory of him from that time was a solid shift at Swansea, hitherto Arsenal’s bogey team, capped by a dogged swipe at the ball the led to the Gunners’ opening goal.

However, the constant physical strain of the Premier League took its toll from the summer of 2013. The relentless pace, no winter break, oppositions biting and snarling even when 2-0 down, and wingers as likely to deposit an elbow to the face as a nutmeg between the feet: England’s inclement learning curve had Nacho gasping. Arsenal’s strategic approach of having the full-backs press high up the pitch also went against Monreal, who has never been the quickest and was often found wanting on the counterattack. In 2013-14, Monreal started 20 games to Gibbs’s 37, and was on the bench for the all-important FA Cup final against Hull. With age fast catching up, things looked bleak.

Centre Back Fire Test

On the face of it, things were about to get bleaker for Monreal. In the autumn of 2014, Arsenal had a defensive crisis of gargantuan proportions even by their standards. Mertesacker was suffering from a World Cup hangover, Koscielny had to confront a belligerent Achilles, and Szczesny was displaying a surprising degree of erraticism after a Golden Glove winning campaign. Monreal was asked to deputize at the centre of defense alongside versatile tyro Calum Chambers. A struggling full back being tasked with a role where physical robustness is even more of a prerequisite sounded like a recipe for disaster, but this fire test turned out to be the making of Monreal as an Arsenal player.

He took the athletic challenge by the scruff of its neck, steadily improving his ability to outmuscle opposition defenders and his aerial prowess. As he was responsible for distribution out of defense, his ball-playing and confidence on the ball also increased. By the time he shifted back to full back, Monreal was a far better player and his only way was up from there.

We can assume it wasn’t Wenger’s intention to improve Monreal through a stint in central defense, but that was undoubtedly the outcome. In 13-14, Monreal won just 43% of his aerial duels. By 14-15, post his makeshift contribution, this figure rose to 62% a season later, and 68% by the autumn of 2015. Monreal also seems like a player who benefits from extended game time, and his week-in-week-out selection has manifested itself in a better offensive output.

He has come a long way from the full back who struggled to deal with Arsenal’s high press requirements. Constantly available on the overlap, sending in accurate crosses, and flooding the box on for loose balls and rebounds, Monreal’s attacking contribution is as underrated as Bellerin’s is (rightly) lauded. Three assists, roughly one key pass per game, and an implicit understanding with Alexis Sanchez on his wing make Monreal an indispensable all-round asset.

The writer may be tempting fate here, but Monreal’s astounding fitness has also contributed to his ascent through the North London ranks. One of Gibbs’s main shortcomings is the pull, twang, and niggle that usually comes his way before he builds up a run of games under his belt. Fortunately for Arsenal, Monreal’s muscles are compliant to his indomitable will.

When compared against Mathieu Debuchy, a player who joined in and went through similar circumstances at Arsenal, Monreal’s amazingly professional and humble attitude stands out in stark relief. Debuchy sulked and vocally complained when usurped by Hector Bellerin, ached for a move out in January, and finally settled for a loan departure to France. Monreal buckled down when relegated to the bench, trained diligently and silently, played where the team needed him to, and grabbed his chances when he got them. It’s a success story that provides hope to any new player from relatively unheralded backgrounds – Elneny, hope you’re listening – trying to make it at Arsenal.

Having recently signed a new contract, Monreal will see out the prime years of his career at Arsenal, while also mentoring the younger batch of Bellerin, Chambers, and Jenkinson to follow in his wake. Gunners’ fans will hope that Arsenal’s league title count witnesses a resurgence mirroring that of their steady Eddie left back.

As for Nacho, let him put his feet up on his birth week and toast what has been a successful personal year. Come the weekend, the feet are sure to be back on the field and endlessly motoring, the only way they know how.

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