It s not Eze, it s Odegaard! Arsenal s number one engine is actually a defender

In sharp contrast to the downturn during the international match in September, Arsenal's morale is high today: they remain unbeaten in the Champions League, and more importantly, the team is 1 point ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League standings and ranks first. Moreover, the Gunners performed very well on both offense and defense: they only conceded 3 goals, the team that conceded fewer goals in the Premier League, and scored 1 more goal than the Red Army. Tashuai's team played good-looking and efficient football. But if you think that the team's offensive engine is Odegaard or Eze, who just arrived this summer, you are wrong. Right now, the Gunners' number one offensive engine belongs to Timber.

Last season, Eze delivered a career-best record of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 games at Crystal Palace; while Odegaard delivered 6 goals and 12 assists in 45 games for Arsenal. Some Arsenal fans believed that his performance was "below expectations." But if you dig deeper and create data - expected assists per 90 minutes, forward passes, dribbling, key passes, and the number of passes into the penalty area - the Norwegian actually completely suppressed Eze. The reason is nothing more than that Crystal Palace relies more on Eze to finish, and Arsenal has better overall possession of the ball, but the numbers prove that Odegaard is still a top dealer.

However, neither of them are the most helpful people in the Gunners team this season. You might have guessed that Bukayo Saka, or Madueke before injury, or even Rice had the most chances from set pieces - all wrong. Most of Rice's "opportunities" come from corner kicks and free kicks. The real “master of pie making” is Timber.

According to Squawka statistics, the Dutchman Timber has sent 8 key passes through sports battles this season, ranking first in the team. The guard, who analyst Ben Mattinson calls a "game changer," combines monster defense with surprising creativity, truly achieving both offense and defense.

The game against Newcastle is the best example: Timber locked the opponent on the left wing, and he participated in the attack again and again, continuously outputting crosses and inverted triangle passes. His performance on the field is not only visible to the naked eye, but the data is even more exaggerated - FBref shows that among all full-backs in the Premier League, Timber ranks in the top 2% every 90 minutes of:

-non-point goals + expected goals, shooting actions, forward passes, and tackles

-total shot and pass success rate, top 7%

-touching the ball in the opponent's penalty area Top 11%

Low profile does not mean unimportant. Timber is now Arsenal's most stable and best hidden core.