Zubimendi, right on time

It hasn’t been an easy few weeks for Martín Zubimendi. The Spaniard needed a night like Wednesday’s Champions League performance. So did his Arsenal. Just look at how his teammates celebrated from the sideline when the midfielder was named Man of the Match. Because yes, on a crucial night for the North London side, with Mikel Arteta’s team playing for a place in the Champions League semifinals, Zubimendi looked like himself again.

And the timing couldn’t be better with Arsenal facing a crucial match away to Manchester City on Sunday (kickoff at 11:30 a.m.). Guardiola’s side are just six points behind at the top of the table, with a game in hand.

The former Real Sociedad player had been one of those most clearly showing that Arsenal were struggling. Physically and mentally. His performances in midfield had dipped. His legs no longer covered the same ground as they did earlier in the season. In fact, as seen in the recent league loss to Bournemouth, even his own fans blamed him for some of the goals conceded, including Alex Scott’s decisive 2-1. There was criticism. But the Champions League (almost) cures everything.

Arsenal didn’t win (0-0), but Zubimendi was the standout performer, and the Gunners will now face Atlético Madrid in the final tie before the Budapest final. “Wow… I know them well. They also have a final this weekend against Real Sociedad. I think they’re in a great moment, full of confidence, with that Atlético Madrid spirit… We faced them in the league phase, but this will be different. I’m not surprised by their form. At the end of the day, they’ve invested heavily, signed very good players, have had a core group together for many years, and a very good coach (‘Cholo’ Simeone). It doesn’t surprise me,” Zubimendi said on El Larguero on Spanish radio station Cadena SER.

Mikel Arteta, his coach, was well aware of the drop in form experienced by the San Sebastián native. Days earlier, he said: “Obviously, when you play so many games, maintaining an excellent level is almost impossible. I’ve probably not seen any player in the Premier League this season capable of doing that. So again, it’s part of a player’s journey, and the shorter it is, the better. Yes, he has the mentality needed to overcome this moment, because he has been very consistent and very intelligent, and probably demands more of himself than anyone else.”

The fatigue shown by Zubimendi, as evident as it is understandable, comes from the 3,842 minutes he has played in 48 games this season. His first with Arsenal and in the Premier League. The former Real Sociedad midfielder, signed last summer for €70 million, is not only the outfield player with the most minutes at the club, but starting goalkeeper David Raya has logged just 28 more minutes than him.

The second-most used midfielder in the Premier League across all competitions, behind only Dominik Szoboszlai, The Telegraph recently analyzed Zubimendi’s physical condition and pointed directly at Arteta: “The Spaniard is exhausted and his performance has dropped off a cliff. Mikel Arteta’s refusal to play Christian Norgaard points to a failed signing. Arsenal’s midfield is in crisis.” But the Gunners’ No. 36 has bounced back just in time, when his team needed him most.

If Merino, Madueke, Mosquera or Martinelli managed to put a smile back on the San Sebastián native’s face on Wednesday, after a difficult personal stretch, it’s because they know his best version will be needed if Arsenal are to go into the Etihad Stadium on Sunday and get a result. In Zubimendi’s own words, again to El Larguero on Cadena SER, “the last few weeks have been a bit strange, but at the start of the season we would have signed up for this situation. It’s one game at a time. Life or death. There are five weeks left and every game is vital. There’s always room for improvement, but the Champions League is the Champions League and any team is dangerous.”

Zubimendi, “very focused and happy” where he is, with “many other things on his mind,” as he hinted when once again asked about the ongoing links to Real Madrid, an interest that for the Arsenal player himself “isn’t a bad thing, but its moment has passed,” now faces an exciting end to the season. The Gunners’ No. 36, a serious contender for best signing and even Premier League Player of the Season, will have a major role in whether the North London side lifts silverware this year. Few deserve it more.

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