Arsenal’s Greek central-defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos is what many would describe as a “no-nonsense, old school” defender but 14 months into his Gunners career have his limitations been exposed? Sokratis signed for the north-London giants back in July 2018 from Borussia Dortmund for a fee believed to be in the region of £14.4m but even now, he divides opinion.
His larger than life character, passionate outbursts and fist-pumps after almost every significant tackle or block to the casual viewer portray a defender far better than the one Arsenal actually have at their service. Laurent Koscielny left the club controversially in the summer having refused to participate in the clubs tour of the United States leaving Sokratis as the clubs most senior centre-back at the time and, whilst he’s stepped up to the mantle vocally, his performances have at times left a lot to be desired.
When it comes to putting his body on the line and being willing to take a yellow card for the team, Sokratis rarely shies away, but the role of the modern-day centre-back has evolved significantly and Unai Emery’s insistence on playing out from the back has exposed the 31-year-old’s short-comings.
Arsenal have struggled to build play from the back and the defenders often find themselves in pressure situations with the ball at their feet just a matter of yards from their own goal. There is a wider debate to be had about whether or not that’s the right approach but regardless of fan opinion, that’s what Emery has settled on. Sokratis has often come unstuck under pressure, most notably at Watford earlier in the season when he passed the ball straight to an attacker leading to a goal.
According to WhoScored.com, Sokratis’ average performance rating in the Premier League this season currently stands at 6.75/10. He averages just 1.3 tackles per game, less than 1 interception and 1.5 blocks. When you compare the statistics to those of Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu, a player with whom Arsenal were heavily linked in the past there is a noticeable difference. The Turkish defender averages 2.3 tackles per game, 1.5 interceptions and 5.5 clearances over a 90 minute period. His average performance rating stands significantly higher at 7.25/10.
Sokratis’ limitations are not due to a lack of trying, more so a lack of talent and he’s a million miles away from being the complete defender Emery’s playing style demands. The 6 ft 1in defender has 90 caps for his native Greece, scoring three goals, but has been omitted from their latest squad with current boss John van’t Schip preferring to develop the players of the future. Another sign that the game could finally be passing this “old school” defender by.