As the end of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign approaches, Arsenal’s entire season boils down to their final few matches.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently leading the way at the top of the table with 77 points, one point above Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
From now until the end of the season, every single game is a must-win, but they don’t have the easiest run-in, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and Everton all to play.
With that in mind, every single player in the squad will have a huge role to play, but the upcoming return of one individual could just help the Gunners lift the Premier League trophy.
Jurrien Timber's injury update
After moving to Arsenal for a fee of £38m and signing a five-year deal, Jurrien Timber would’ve expected to play a pivotal role during his first season.
However, in football, not everything always goes to plan, with the 22-year-old suffering a cruciate ligament tear 50 minutes into his Premier League debut.
Unfortunately, this terrible setback has seen the Dutch defender miss 252 days of action, which equates to 45 matches across all competitions.
That said, the Arsenal faithful will have been absolutely thrilled to see their summer signing get his first minutes on the grass at the start of this week, as he appeared in the lineup of Arsenal’s U21 clash against Blackburn Rovers.
The former Ajax ace scored an absolute worldie just eight minutes into the game, and he lasted until half-time, where he was planned to be subbed.
Timber is reportedly close to returning to first-team action, according to Arteta, and he could just have a huge impact on the side before the end of the season.
Why Arteta must unleash Timber soon
The reason why Arsenal originally signed Timber in the summer was due to his unique profile, as he offers plenty of versatility and attributes that would slot perfectly into Arteta’s philosophy.
Despite only standing at 5 foot 10, the Dutch star became known for being an incredible ball-playing centre-half at Ajax, who boasted 92 touches and 73.5 passes per game in the Eredivisie last season.
However, he’s also an extremely talented full-back who can comfortably play on either flank, which is where he could impact the team in the next few weeks.
The left-back position at Arsenal is currently up for grabs, with the rest of the backline untouchable, and Timber could just solve that problem for Arteta.
During his only two starts of the season, Timber had been fielded as a left-back who had the freedom to invert when in possession, which gives an indication that was his plan for the campaign.
Goals conceded
0
Interceptions
2
Dribbled past
1
Tackles
1
Touches
45
Pass accuracy
92%
Successful dribbles
1/2
As you can see by his stats during the Gunners’ Community Shield victory against Man City, Timber had a very impressive debut, showing his plethora of skills.
Firstly, the number 12 brought defensive security to the side, frustrating the City attack and limiting his direct opponent, Bernardo Silva, to zero attempts at goal.
Furthermore, he displayed his technical quality even against the relentless Portuguese star, with his touches and pass accuracy serving as evidence for that.
Timber is also an extremely confident player who’s not afraid to carry the ball up the field, using his close dribbling and excellent ball-shielding to keep the ball.
The Evening Standard handed Timber a 7/10 rating for his performance, the joint-third highest score in the team, stating that he had 'a good full debut for the club', while data analyst Ben Mattinson has more recently hailed the summer signing for being on a "different level" with regard to his "football IQ".
Overall, the “exceptional” Timber, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, could just prove to be a brilliant wildcard option for Arteta and the difference between Premier League glory or misery.
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