What Jurrien Timber has done this season with Arsenal isn’t normal!
This season has been filled with so many problems and disappointments that a host of us Gooners cannot wait to see the back of it. From the inconsistencies that have plagued us season long, to Injuries which have also been ever present. The negatives have been a constant burden that have derailed our season. In […] The post What Jurrien Timber has done this season with Arsenal isn’t normal! appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
RR aka Rishi-Raj
This season has been filled with so many problems and disappointments that a host of us Gooners cannot wait to see the back of it. From the inconsistencies that have plagued us season long, to Injuries which have also been ever present. The negatives have been a constant burden that have derailed our season. In spite of this, it is worth noting the few positives of an otherwise forgettable campaign (fingers crossed, Madrid!). One such positive is the overall performance of Jurrien Timber this campaign.
Nothing epitomizes this more than Timber’s performance against Chelsea last time out. Despite the “Player of the Match” award going to William Saliba, Timber would’ve also been a fine pick for a really solid display. He won a match high total of 9 duels in that game as well having an 88% passing accuracy, 8 passes into the final third, 3 clearances, 2 interceptions and 6 recoveries. He was also overheard telling Enzo Maresca to “try harder” in the latter stages of the game in what would’ve definitely amused the Arsenal faithful.
That performance was a good example of how well he has played throughout the campaign. Industrious, full of energy as well as technically sound and a bit pacy too – that’s how the Dutchman will be described to someone who hasn’t watched him before, and I’m sure Gooners will agree with me. He has been that and more this season which is impressive in itself but what makes it abnormal to me is that he has been able to do it off the back of a serious injury.
After signing the versatile defender in 2023 and after a fairly impressive pre-season, Gooners were eagerly in anticipation of a first full season in England for Timber. That wasn’t to be the case however as he sustained a season ending injury just minutes into the second half of his full Premier League debut. That injury kept him out from the very first league game of last season up to the very last in which he came on against Everton.
For him to perform the way he’s done this campaign, considering the duration he was out, and the type of injury as well, is just impressive to say the least. How often have we seen players take up to months and years even to get back to peak physical condition after an injury like that? The answer is a lot! One example we will all be familiar with is Hector Bellerin. The Spaniard was never the same for the Gunners after rupturing his ACL in the beginning of 2019 and that has contributed massively in hampering the 29-year-old’s career to date.
Furthermore, looking at Timber’s performances at right-back it’s easy to forget that he was predominantly utilized as a centre-half in his Ajax days. His versatility is truly an asset!
As Ben White is eased back into the fold, I for one, am curious about who will be our main man on that side. Even though Jurrien Timber is having an amazing season, we cannot forget that the Saka-Ødegaard-White dynamic on the right has been crucial to the side in the past few seasons.
I’ll leave it to you to decide. Who should play there long term, White or Timber?
BENJAMIN KENNETH
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The post What Jurrien Timber has done this season with Arsenal isn’t normal! appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
