MIKEL ARTETA likes to describe his Arsenal squad as a puzzle – and it is becoming clear that Martin Zubimendi was the missing piece.
Arsenal spent £250million on eight new signings last summer and Spain midfielder Zubimendi has been the pick of the bunch.
Striker Viktor Gyokeres arrived to great fanfare as the man that would fire the Gunners to the title.
But the first half of this season has underlined how Zubimendi will be the difference between Arsenal being champions instead of missing out again.
That must be painful for Liverpool, who travel to the Emirates on Thursday night trailing in Arsenal’s wake.
The reigning champions are 14 points behind Prem leaders Arsenal and their victory over them at Anfield in August feels like a lifetime ago.
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So does the fact that Zubimendi could have been playing for Liverpool instead of Arsenal.
Back in the summer of 2024, it looked like Zubimendi was on his way from Real Sociedad to Merseyside.
But Arsenal hijacked the move and laid the groundwork to sign the midfielder a year later while holding talks over a deal for Mikel Merino that summer.
Arteta was key to sealing the deal as he pitched to Zubimendi why he should make the move to North London.
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The £51m transfer was essentially all wrapped up by March 2025 – which stopped Real Madrid hijacking it in the summer.
Zubimendi’s transfer now looks like a sliding doors moment for this season’s title race.
Arsenal’s midfield has been transformed by his arrival and Liverpool could do with his calming presence.
No player in the Arsenal squad has made more interceptions in Prem games this season than Zubimendi.
Jurrien Timber is the only Gunners player to beat him when it comes to tackles made, with Gabriel just pipping the Spaniard in aerial duels.
In the whole league, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is the only midfielder to have completed more passes than Zubimendi this season.
There were fears the Spaniard may take time to adapt to English football – but he has hit the ground running.
Arteta said: “He’s such a talented and intelligent player that he picks things immediately.
“And when that happens, and you have good players around you, normally that’s a good combination to be successful.
“This is the position that connects everybody. You know how difficult it is to do it in this league – immediately – but he has been exceptional.”
No one has benefitted more from Zubimendi’s arrival than Declan Rice.
The Arsenal squad have given Rice the nickname of ‘The Horse’ because of the way he charges around the pitch.
And Zubimendi has given Rice even more freedom to stretch his legs and cover every blade of grass.
Rice wants to add goals to his game and Zubimendi should allow him to do that.
The Spaniard is happy to sit in front of the defence and break up play, which gives Rice licence to get forward.
The England star scored twice at the weekend as Arsenal won 3-2 at Bournemouth and Arteta will hope it is the first of many more before the end of this season.
Rice said: “He (Zubimendi) is an unbelievable player. It has been so easy to play with him.
“From the first moment we trained with each other pre-season, I could just tell that I was going to play some good football with him.
“He’s Spain’s No6 and you know what Spanish No6s are like. They are the best at first-phase build-up, turning on the ball, playing forward and into pockets.
“That’s exactly what we have got with him.”
Zubimendi has even started adding goals to his game.
He has found the net three times this season and one more will equal his best season in front of goal.
It is why Arteta has hailed the Spaniard as the “total player”.
Liverpool’s loss has been Arsenal’s gain.
