Arsenal beat PSG in the second Champions League matchday to secure all three points in the table. The Gunners drew their first Champions League match against Atalanta. The Gunners are also having a good start in the Premier League. Currently, Arsenal are in the third in the Premier League table after six matches. Mikel Arteta is yet to lose their first match in the Premier League. Although they had some tricky games with Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City, still they managed to keep their unbeaten form in the season. Apart from those brilliant results, all the Arsenal fans are very happy to see Jurrien Timber back in the squad and making the regular starts for the Gunners.
Jurrien Timber is back after missing the whole last season due to injury
While all the Arsenal fans are very happy about the comeback of Jurrien Timber, former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz warns Timer about his current playing style. Before joining the Gunners, Timber used to play as a central defender at Ajax. Last season he joined Arsenal from Ajax. However, the whole season was cut off due to injuries and the Dutch international returned to the Arsenal squad at the start of this season. Arsenal have two brilliant center defenders right now including William Saliba and Gabriel. So, it was expected that Jurrien Timber would play in a different position rather than as a centre-back.
Former Chelsea defender, Khalid Boulahrouz, has warned him because of this “versatileness”. Mikel Arteta is using Timber for both, the right-back and left-back positions. Timber can actually play in both positions. But Khalid Boulahrouz believes that if the 23-year-old continued doing this for the Gunners, it would lead to serious problems for him in the future. Mikel Arteta loves a player who is versatile and could play in a different position. That’s why the Gunners invested money on Riccardo Calafiori, who can play both in the left-back and also in the centre- back position.
Former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz warned Timber
But Khalid Boulahrouz expressed that if Jurrien Timber continues his versatileness, then it will create a huge problem for him and he might ultimately suffer in the future. According to the news published by football365, former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz said on Ziggo Sport,
“Of course, he is coming back from a serious injury, Then you are very humble and happy that you are in the starting line-up at such a great club. You enjoy that. But is it good for the rest of your career? No.“
“Is it good to be versatile? It can be an option every now and then. If he were to play right back, that’s closer to his nature, but left-back… No, that’s not what you were brought in for. You played centrally and you deserved it.”
Mikel Arteta is using Jurrien Timber in both the left-back and right-back positions with the newly signed Riccardo Calafiori. Timber started all six matches for the Gunners in the Premier League this season and made eight appearances overall till now across all competitions. The Dutch international also earned his first goal contribution after providing an assist for Arsenal in the match against Leicester City. No doubt Arteta will certainly use him more and more in the wing-back position rather than any other position.
The Gunners will now face newly promoted side Southampton in the Premier League at home. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is still out of the squad due to his ankle injury. The last time these two sides met was in April 2023 and the match ended with a 3-3 draw as both teams shared their points. In the last three meetings, Arsenal drew twice and lost one. That means there is now a win in the last three meetings for the Gunners.
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