Arsenal fans felt that we were given the short straw after missing out on right-back target Emerson Royal to north London rivals Spurs and having to settle for the backup option in Takehiro Tomiyasu.
But we couldn’t have been more wrong judging by the start to their Premier League careers.
Since Tomiyasu made his debut in an Arsenal shirt against Norwich, the club has seen a positive change in form following three consecutive defeats whilst conceding nine goals in the process.
The Japanese international has featured in every game since, with the Gunners winning two Premier League games in a row and maintaining back-to-back clean sheets which is the first time this has been done by the club since last January.
Emerson Royal has not had the greatest’s of starts to life in England however, as Tottenham have fallen victim to consecutive 3-0 defeats against London rivals Crystal Palace and Chelsea, losing their place at the top of the table.
The club results are not the only reason why Arsenal fans have received a blessing in disguise by missing out on Emerson Royal and signing Tomiyasu, but it also seems that the former Bologna man is having a better individual start.
The Arsenal defender has previously been praised for his height and ability in the air from his time in Serie A, and this has certainly transferred over to the Premier League as he has managed to win all but one of his aerial duels so far.
This is especially impressive because one of these games was against Burnley who are notoriously known for their direct style of football.
(Image: Getty Images)
Emerson struggles to compare with his duel stats and has only won 40% of these In the league.
Tomiyasu has also committed fewer fouls despite making more ball recoveries (36) than Emerson (16).
However, the Brazilian has made more tackles which have led to a higher tackle percentage but this is because Spurs play a more rigid system and were dominated by Chelsea for the entirety of the second half.
Mikel Arteta’s newest addition has also been impressive going forward and has a higher dribbling percentage than the Brazilian, attempting 88 passes compared to Emerson’s 64, which again is a testament to Arteta’s system and highlights that Tomiyasu is perhaps better suited.
Tomiyasu put on a Man of the Match display against Burnley and is swiftly becoming a fan favourite at the club.
His admiration will increase dramatically if he is able to pull off a similar performance in the North London derby that ensures a victory for the club in red and white on Sunday.
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Source by Football London
