Cristian Mosquera Reduces…

His humility is appreciated at Arsenal, with Arteta noting, “He is exceptionally eager to learn.” Though still mastering English, Mosquera benefits from support from Arsenal’s Spanish-speaking players, earning a reputation for being polite and welcoming.

His signing was the result of a collective effort, spearheaded by sporting director Andrea Berta, who had knowledge of Mosquera from his time at Atletico Madrid. Arsenal leveraged his contract’s final year to negotiate a favorable fee.

Saliba’s injury presented an unexpected opportunity for Mosquera, who, along with Gabriel Magalhaes, played a vital role in limiting Arsenal’s opponents to just seven shots on target and 1.24 expected goals against in their last four games.

Ranked second among Arsenal players for tackles and clearances in all competitions, Mosquera boasts a ground duel success rate of 71%, surpassed only by Gabriel. His aerial game, previously identified as a weakness, has also begun to flourish.

His defensive strength has ensured that Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick at Anfield remains the only goal Arsenal have conceded this season. Equally important, the young center-back has been effective in possession.

Having shown promise in distribution at Valencia, Mosquera has surprisingly displayed remarkable composure and quality on the ball early in his Arsenal tenure. His passing accuracy of 93.2% is only slightly lower than Saliba’s.

This efficiency is even more notable considering his aggressive forward play. Against Athletic Club, he notably played over twice as many passes to Martin Zubimendi as any other Arsenal player.

Additionally, he has often accepted pressure, threading crucial balls through to Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, or the pacey Noni Madueke on the right flank.

He has evidenced a readiness to execute difficult passes alongside the simpler ones, reflecting his capability. Impressively, he leads his teammates with a forward passing success rate of 82.1% this season.

He has also demonstrated an ability to transition the ball out of defense.

This was evident against Athletic Club, wherein after intercepting a cross from Adama Boiro in his box, he surged forward and found Jurrien Timber between two defenders to initiate a counterattack.

His ability to carry the ball out of defense has been evident in his early domestic appearances. According to Opta, Mosquera ranks 17th among all Premier League players for carries per 90 minutes, and third among his Arsenal teammates, following Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri.

Arsenal will need him to maintain this form both on and off the ball against Erling Haaland and Manchester City on Sunday. However, Mosquera has already exhibited his quality, and as he just turned 21 in June, the hope is that this is only the beginning.

His arrival has provided Arsenal with a timely solution to an injury that could have been a significant setback. In the long run, even with aspirations to secure Saliba’s new contract, they may have found a capable successor should he depart.

All this for just £13m.

Doku’s Central Influence

Arsenal’s defenders will need to pay particular attention to Jeremy Doku, who is in exceptional form after netting a stunning goal against Napoli and assisting twice against Manchester United.

Doku’s threat in one-on-one situations has been a crucial aspect of Manchester City’s strategy since his arrival in 2023, but this season he has also started to attack from more central positions, deviating from just playing on the left flank.

The electrifying dribble that led to Phil Foden’s opening goal against Manchester United occurred when he picked up the ball in the right half-space. He later provided the second assist for Erling Haaland from the left half-space, while his individual goal on Thursday night came after he skillfully navigated Napoli’s defense from the edge of the penalty area.

Historically, Arsenal’s full-backs have effectively contained Doku, as evidenced by the fact that he hasn’t scored or assisted in three prior encounters against them. However, recent performances indicate that the defensive duties will likely need to be distributed among players in central areas as well.

Player Radar: Other Notable Mentions

Newcastle’s manager Eddie Howe might rue the decision to bench new acquisition Nick Woltemade during their Champions League setback against Barcelona. Expect the tall striker to return to the lineup against Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports on Sunday after scoring on his debut against Wolves.