Albert Sambi Lokonga has shown this season that he is a player with excellent potential. Despite the high ceiling for the midfielder, it is clear he still has a lot of maturing to achieve if he wants to adapt to the Premier League.
The Belgian midfielder has been impressive since joining the club in the summer and seemed to hit the ground running. However, there Is one stumbling block that is preventing him from being more of a regular in Arteta’s starting squad.
Sambi Lokonga’s errors in the middle of the park is leading to chances for the opposition team, showing that he needs time to develop. But, this is to be expected of a youngster, and if he is able to cut this out of his game then he will go on to thrive in an Arsenal shirt.
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The Belgian ranks ninth in the Premier League for the most errors leading to shots since the 2020/2021 season. Sambi Lokonga has made four errors in 17 appearances, which is a worrying trend when the player above him, James Tarkowski, has made five errors in 67 appearances, and Daniel Amartey, who has made the same amount of errors as Sambi Lokonga, has played 17 more matches than him.
This is certainly an area of Sambi Lokonga’s game that can be fixed. Mistakes tend to come from younger players, and with the Belgian at times being the lone player in central midfield, it means that the percentages for him to make an error are higher due to the lack of support around him.
Sambi Lokonga has been inconsistent since his switch from Anderlecht in the summer in a deal worth around £15 million. But that is to be expected with his age and the fact that he has never played English football before this season.
Despite only being 21-years-old, he has displayed some excellent performances in the Premier League. The 1-0 victory against Norwich in September was a real highlight for the youngster after he recorded the most passes and the most tackles which demonstrated his dominance in the centre of midfield.
Manchester City's Vincent Kompany spoke about Sambi Lokonga’s potential to Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five YouTube channel. He said. "The first thing I did when I saw Sambi is I went to Mikel[Arteta] and said, 'You've got to watch this guy, he's the new Yaya Toure.”
His impressive start to life with the Gunners even earned him a call-up for the Belgian national side for the first time in his young career. He also received a call-up over the March international break which shows the talent he possesses is not just rated by those in north London.
Sambi Lokonga has been tasked with playing in the anchor role multiple times this season, and it is a position that he could nail down once he has fully adapted to the pace of the Premier league. Thomas Partey’s constant injury issues mean that the Belgian is gaining valuable experience this season.
Despite the errors he has been at fault for in the Premier League this season, it is an issue that can certainly be cut out in years to come. It is a big stumbling block for Sambi Lokonga, but once he overcomes this, he could become a valuable player in Arsenal’s midfield for years to come.
