Arsenal’s Zubimendi deal under scrutiny – was Stewart Robson right?

Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson expressed concerns that Arsenal overpaid for Martin Zubimendi and questioned his dynamism prior to the player's arrival. After three Premier League matches and preseason games, Zubimendi's performances are being evaluated against these criticisms.

Zubimendi, signed for £55 million, started all three league games as a holding midfielder. Against Manchester United, he played defensively with 57 touches, 86.7% passing accuracy, and 3 tackles, though none were key passes. Most of his passes were forward, contradicting Robson's claims about his tendency to pass backward.

In the dominant home win against Leeds, Zubimendi had 95 touches and 89% passing accuracy, but again no key passes. He attempted his first shot of the season and won 71% of duels, though 38% of his passes were backward. Defensively, he contributed 8 actions, fewer than at Old Trafford due to Arsenal's control of the match.

Against Liverpool, Zubimendi's touches dropped to 50, with no key passes and a season-low 83% passing accuracy, lending some credence to Robson's assessment about his lack of penetrating passes. He struggled in ground duels, winning only 14%, though he excelled in aerial battles.

Preseason showed Zubimendi can dictate tempo in dominant games, but his passing accuracy declines when he sees less of the ball. Defensively, he may lack the physicality to protect the back four effectively, as Robson predicted. To maximize his impact, he may need to play alongside another holding midfielder or in a more advanced role when under pressure.

While Robson's criticisms about Zubimendi's limitations appear partially valid, it is too early to fully assess his overall contribution to Arsenal's project under Arteta.