PainInTheArsenal
Arsenal: This many people can’t be wrong about Henrikh Mkhitaryan
by Josh Sippie
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has some fluffy numbers since joining Arsenal, but some still doubt. Can so many people actually be wrong about him though?
Arsenal put a task on Henrikh Mkhitaryan when they signed him, and that task was to replace Alexis Sanchez. Given the falling out of the Chilean, it got progressively easier, but earlier in his North London career, such a thought would have seemed impossible.
Thus far, Mkhitaryan has replaced him to a tee. He has two goals and five assists in eight appearances and has showcased a defensive work-rate that’s to die for.
Yet there are still some doubters. People are out there saying that the numbers are masking what has been a fairly “adequate” landing with the Gunners. No doubt a hat trick of assists against Everton helped inflate the numbers, but I’m not basing my assessment of Mkhitaryan off of the goals and assists, which he has proven can come in ample quantity.
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I am basing it off of what I’m seeing and what so many others are seeing too. Aside from the few naysayers, there has been so much praise for Mkhitaryan, but the two that have spoken most recently about him are Arsene Wenger and AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso.
Both have highlighted how he continues to improve and show just how special he is as a player and, to me, to have an opposing manager sing your praises after you had your way with them, that is something special.
Mkhitaryan’s numbers are great, but it’s the style of his play that I don’t think could fit any better into the void that Alexis left. Alexis was selfish, a ball-absorber who would forget that he had team mates and try to do everything himself. Although occasionally capable of doing it all himself, those times didn’t outweigh the chances he would miss.
Mkhitaryan possesses a lot of the same faculties as Alexis. He can go at it himself and has fantastic feet and a penchant for pestering the opposing goal. And yes, he can be loose at times, like Alexis.
But in the upgrade department, Mkhitaryan is a clean sweep from where we were to where we are now. He is a perpetually positive influence on the pitch who, even at his worst, will continue to push on and try new things.
Yes, he has been a bit untidy at times, but this comes as part of the territory of learning a new system. He is only going to get better, as Gattuso pointed out.