BBC MotD 2 pundit and former Gunner Martin Keown has said that Lucas Torreira “has been key to their improvement” defensively under Unai Emery.
Keown was writing in his #TackleKeown column for the Daily Mail when he was asked by a fan whether Arsenal had discovered their defensive structure under their new manager.
Emery had said he’d inherited a team that that was floundering at the back.
“I’m not surprised by Emery’s comments,” Keown said. “It was clear that Arsenal paid more attention to the attacking side of the game.
“What has impressed me most this season is that Arsenal have improved defensively without losing any of their attacking creativity.
“Emery is playing two defensive midfielders to shield the back line and Lucas Torreira has been key to their improvement in that area. We are also seeing more from the wide players in terms of tracking back.
“What Emery is trying to instil in his new side is that they cannot switch off for a second. They have to work just as hard without the ball as they do with it.”
OPINION
It’s going to be a long road back to the top of the Premier League for Arsenal but most people think that things are moving in the right direction under Emery. He didn’t rush Torreira into the team. He didn’t start the first five games in the Premier League after his £27million move from Sampdoria, but since then he’s played the full 90 minutes in the other seven and he’s an absolutely key player for Arsenal now. He’s small – only 5ft 6in tall – but he adds something to Arsenal that they’ve been lacking for a long time under Wenger. Can they break into the top four this season? Possibly. They’re three points behind rivals Tottenham in fifth at the moment but they would need one of the top four to slip up and to keep up the fantastic form they’ve enjoyed recently, that’s been derailed slightly by three consecutive draws. However, they’ve only lost two games, to Man City and Chelsea, and most people would agree that they were the better side against their London rivals. Things are definitely looking up at the Emirates.