Folarin Balogun has proven to Mikel Arteta that he will be the perfect striker for his system ahead of next season, after his performance against Wayne Rooney's Derby County.
The Hale Academy graduate provided an excellent assist on Saturday afternoon, as he continues to relish his loan spell at Middlesbrough where he will be spending the rest of his season.
It wasn’t just the assist itself that would have appealed to the Arsenal manager, but it was in the manner it was carried out. Balogun's high pressing saw him intercept the ball in Derby County’s box, which then saw him pick out his teammate with a lovely back-rolled flick.
Arteta expects a bundle of energy from his forward line, and Balogun’s determination to win the ball in the final third would certainly have impressed the Gunners boss.
The Spaniard likes to utilise a high-press so his team can regain possession of the ball in a swift manner, which creates a higher allowance of more sustainable attacks in the game.
However, the current crop of strikers at his disposal are not renowned for their pressing ability. In particular, Alexandre Lacazette doesn't have the speed of a player who can get around the pitch quick enough to start an effective press.
Martin Odegaard is usually the player to lead the team’s press with Lacazette following behind, however, with a forward who is agile enough to lead the line off the ball, it will give the team a better shape.
Balogun proved against Derby that he has the ability to lead the team’s press, and this will provide a major advantage for Arsenal going into next season.
The Gunners are in desperate need of a striker and with Eddie Nketiah along with Lacazette’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, there should be two striker spots available which Balogun should set his sights on.
The 21-year-old started Arsenal’s opening Premier League match of the season in the 2-0 defeat to Brentford but failed to start another first-team game since then, which saw him make the loan switch last month.
Balogun is good enough for first-team football, but Arteta doesn’t seem to think he is capable for Arsenal’s level just yet.
However, now at Middlesbrough until the end of the season, he has a great chance to replicate his youth team qualities at the first-team level, and the FA Cup fixtures are also giving him an excellent platform to show his abilities against Premier League opposition.
The youngster can continue to prove his worth to Arteta against Tottenham in the fourth round.
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