Player Focus: Tomas Rosicky - Arsenal's Big Game Player

When Tomas Rosicky robbed Danny Rose of possession in Arsenal’s recent North London Derby win, the Czech showed impressive composure in delicately lofting the ball over an onrushing Hugo Lloris. Despite pressure from Kyle Walker as he closed in goal, Rosicky remained in control of the situation to confirm the Gunners’ place in the 4th round of the FA Cup.

There are countless reasons that Arsenal fans believe the midfielder is deserving of new contract, with Rosicky’s current deal expiring at the end of the season. At 33, Arsène Wenger may consider allowing the former Dortmund ace to depart the Emirates for pastures new, but for fans of the north London side, extending his stay at the club should be high on Wenger’s agenda.

While the Frenchman has an abundance of attacking talent in the position behind the lone frontman, Rosicky's knack of finding pockets of space in between the lines has seen him picked in the attacking midfield trio. The experience he brings to the team is unrivalled in the squad, with the veteran the oldest player available to Wenger. However, while he doesn't feature as regularly as many would hope, this experience means the Gunners must strive to hold onto him.

Rosicky has been involved in 12 Premier League games this term, 7 of which have been starts. 4 of these starts have been against opposition currently sat in the top 8 of the Premier League - Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle, against whom they've taken 10 of a possible 12 points.

Over those 4 starts, Rosicky has earned an average WhoScored rating of 6.88 and while this isn’t an overly impressive figure for a player in his position, his constant movement off the ball and directness on it allows for Arsenal to become a more fluid attacking unit when he features. That he tends to play against the better teams hints that Rosicky is Arsenal’s "big game player".

This is appropriated in that the midfielder also started 5 of their 6 Champions League group games this season, missing only the 2-1 win at Marseille through injury. Over that quintet of fixtures, Rosicky may have only gained a WhoScored rating of 6.62, but as mentioned, his direct running and pace offers a different offensive threat from central areas compared to the likes of Mesut Özil and Santi Cazorla.

Such is this, the player has developed a WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’, with Rosicky boasting an impressive success of 80% in the Premier League this term, a figure than only Mikel Arteta (90%) can better of every Arsenal player to attempt at least 10 dribbles. Furthermore, when on the ball he's able retain possession well, noted in his pass success this season (84.4%), an apect that has previously seen him dubbed the "Little Mozart".

Yet, it's his clever play when not in possession in the attacking third that is widely overlooked and an underrated facet that frees up space for the more creative players in the squad to utilise their inventiveness, highlighted in his average of 49.6 touches per game. This is a significant drop when compard to Aaron Ramsey (89.4), Özil (80.1) and Cazorla (73.1) and against tougher adversaries, the freedom granted to the trio courtesy of Rosicky allows them to exploit the gaps in the opposition defence.

Regardless of his age, it’s obvious that Rosicky still has what it takes to perform at the highest level. The displays of the midfielder may not be up to the standard when he initially signed from Dortmund in 2006, in part due to past injuries, but he remains one of the more consistent performers for Arsenal. His experience is essential in a team that has average age of 25.1 years, and he has been crucial in their quest to end their trophyless spell to date.

With Arsenal boasting statistically calculated styles of play of ‘short passes’ and ‘possession football’ and a WhoScored strength of Rosicky’s being ‘passing’, his talent means he’s ideal in the system Wenger implements. His ability to recycle and retain possession also means he’s perfectly suited to playing against the bigger teams as this limits their goalscoring opportunities. This is highlighted in that Arsenal have conceded 0.58 goals per league encounter in Rosicky's 12 appearances compared to 1.38 in the 8 games without him this season.

Supporters are understandably desperate for him to extend his stay in the capital and his performances have showcased exactly why, with Rosicky the ace up Wenger’s sleeve when he needs to call upon a player for the big occasion.

Do you think Tomas Rosicky is Arsenal's big game player? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below