Spanish International Nacho Monreal has recently finished his third season with Arsenal Football Club. During his first two seasons at the club he was frequently left out of the team and left on the bench due to Kieran Gibbs being chosen for the left back spot in the first team. However, this season he has established himself as a key part to the Arsenal team and has replaced Kieran Gibbs in the left back position in which he plays in. The following article will explore Monreal’s Arsenal career from the start to where he is now and how he has become: ‘The Unsung Hero’.
On the 31st of January 2013, Arsenal completed the signing of Nacho Monreal from Malaga for around £8.5 million. The versatile left back was signed following the injury of Kieran Gibbs the day previous. During his first season at the club, Monreal looked impressive and was quickly able to adapt into the Gunners style of play. The Spaniard ended the season in good fashion making 10 overall appearances for the team. His strong passing ability and also being able to intercept the oppositions play, helped Monreal to earn his place in the Arsenal team for months before he was replaced by Kieran Gibbs in mid-April following his thigh injury.
The 2013/14 Premier League season proved to be a difficult challenge for Monreal as it would become his first full season at Arsenal. With Kieran Gibbs taking the starting spot in the team, the pressure was building on him to challenge Gibbs to earn his position in the starting line up. Throughout the season, Monreal remained consistent in his effort to earn his first team spot and made 36 overall appearances in the season. However, his competition, Kieran Gibbs made 41 overall appearances and produced 14 more starting appearances in comparison to Nacho Monreal.
Despite falling short to Kieran Gibbs in his first full season, Monreal still finished the season on a high due to his efforts. He has adapted well to the rigorous competition of the Premier League and has shown Gibbs that he has the ability to replace him in the team. His strong passing ability, consistent positioning and also his ability to intercept opponents play has proven to Wenger that he can be a viable option for his team to challenge for more silverware.
Arsenal fans immediately began to build pressure on Monreal ahead of the 2014/15 Premier League season as he took the vacant number 18 shirt, so new-boy Alexis Sanchez could take number 17. The number 18 shirt was described by Arsenal fans as a “nightmare” as a result of the ‘failed’ players who previously wore the shirt. Sébastien Squillaci, Pascal Cygan and Mikaël Silvestre are all previous players to have worn the number 18 shirt. Pressure was building on Monreal to see if he would end up like the predecessors to the number 18 shirt.
With pressure building, the 2014/15 Premier League season became Monreal’s ultimate challenge to see if he can replace Kieran Gibbs in the first team. Due to the large amount of injuries in the squad, Monreal was forced to play at both centre back and also left back throughout the course of the season. Despite the difficult challenge ahead of him, Monreal remained calm and composed in both positions whenever he would play there. Monreal adapted well to the centre back position because he always remained focus and kept a strong mentality of the game. Furthermore, when played at his regular left back position, he remained consistent in his style of play and remained the same as he always has done. Versatile, composed and always intercepting play.
As a result of the consistent injuries to Kieran Gibbs, Monreal was finally able to complete his goal and replaced Gibbs in the starting team. This season, Monreal was able to make 10 more starts in the first team in comparison to Gibbs. Throughout the season, it had become the ultimate test for Monreal to prove his worth to both Wenger and Arsenal Football Club. His best games in an Arsenal shirt have also come this season, the 2-1 triumph against Manchester United and the 2-0 win against Manchester City.
Throughout his Arsenal career, Nacho Monreal has always fought for his place to be in the Arsenal team. From his first match in 2013 to the FA Cup Final win against Aston Villa, Monreal has completed his goal of being a consistent member of the Arsenal team. One strong characteristic he has (and has been previously mentioned) is his ability to intercept play. In addition to this, his ability of keeping hold of the ball and overall concentration of the game have established him as a key part to the Arsenal team. The fight he has displayed throughout his Arsenal career has been unnoticed to some fans and deserves to be called ‘The Unsung Hero’.
Thank you for reading my second ever article.
John Smith 