Why Arsenal must consider signing Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace
After two defeats in their first two Premier League games, Unai Emery has steadied the ship at Arsenal. The Gunners have won four top-flight matches in a row and now sit 6th on the table with 12 points. Despite these victories, there continue to be worrying signs.
None of these four wins has been convincing for Emery’s men. If their flaky defence has not been worrisome enough, the forwards also haven’t looked their scintillating best.
Now, Wilfried Zaha was linked with the club in the summer (h/t Daily Express) but the move did not materialize. However, the Gunners must revisit their interest because he could bring some venom into Arsenal’s front line.
Zaha, who currently earns £130,000-a-week, has been Crystal Palace’s talisman for more than a season now. The club are so heavily dependent on the Ivory Coast international that they struggle to win games in his absence. In fact, his energy and guile often fuel the Eagles’ attack to do better.
Last season, he started 28 games for the Londoners and scored 9 goals and provided 3 assists. He had 26 shots on target and completed an astonishing 119 dribbles. But more than these numbers, it is his overall confidence that does all the magic on the field.
Zaha has been utilized as a second striker and as a left-winger under Roy Hodgson. But when deployed as a winger, he becomes unplayable at times. His pace and trickery have troubled numerous defenders in the past few seasons. Furthermore, he has enhanced his dribbling and shooting abilities to a different level altogether.
When Wilfried Zaha runs with the ball, he draws defenders towards him, leaving ample space for the likes of Andros Townsend and Christian Benteke to exploit. In the ongoing season so far, Zaha has scored 3 goals in 5 Premier League starts and Palace sit 11th on the table with 7 points.
Zaha can provide a completely new dimension to Arsenal’s attack. Barring Alexis Iwobi, the Londoners do not have natural wingers who can run at defenders, take them on, dribble past them and either shoot or cross the ball. Emery has been forced to deploy the likes of Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the wings, both of whom tend to cut inside and operate behind the striker. As a result, the width is snatched away from the attack, making it easier for the opponents to defend through the central areas.
Emery has tried to utilize Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the wings and Alexandre Lacazette through the centre but the same problem persists with the Gabonese international. He is a natural striker and gradually moves into central areas, again depriving Arsenal of the width on the left-hand side.
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Considering Zaha’s colossal wages, it won’t be easy for Arsenal to prise him away from Selhurst Park. However, if they want to challenge for the Premier League title and more, they must invest heavily. And investing in a player like Zaha would be a good start.
