A Statistical Look At Why Mathieu Flamini is crucial to Arsenal

Life is sweet for Arsenal fans. The Gunners currently sit top of the Premier League and are rampant in Europe, dispatching both Marseille and Napoli with ease in their first two games. But whilst the likes of Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud steal the headlines, there is one man who is quietly going about his business with maximum effect. That man is Mathieu Flamini.

When Wenger snapped up the free transfer there wasn't much of a reaction from the Gunners. Sure, it was nice to see the Frenchman back at the club, especially as he was costing the club next to nothing in wages compared to the rest of the squad. But would he be able to win himself a place in the midfield?

Well, as we've seen, Flamini's performances have been brilliant. The way he floats just in front of the defence and rips the ball off opponents is vital in the way the Gunners set up their game plan, as is the way he releases possession to the more creative players in the side. The 29-year-old has a pass completion of 92% this season in the Premier League  and an even higher 95% in the Champions League.

He has played four games in the league, winning all four, and has averaged four defensive actions per game. In the Champions League he has averaged five defensive actions, won 67% of his tackles and won 3/4 of his headers.

His value in the squad cannot be underestimated - you only have to look at the six wins from six games that he's appeared - and I think Gunners are starting to realise that.

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Statistics provided by Squawka.