Having finally moved to sign a world-class player at the peak of his powers in the shape of Mesut Ozil, it is ironic that it is a more traditional Arsene Wenger signing who has fired Arsenal to the top of the Premier League.
Aaron Ramsey was signed for £5m back in 2008, convinced to join Arsenal by Wenger personally instead of the team he grew up supporting, Manchester United. No doubt the decision was helped by Wenger’s reputation for buying young talents and giving them a chance in the first team. And such has been the Welshman’s emergence this season, that Ramsey has looked the £40m man in their effervescent midfield.
It has not been an easy route to the top for Ramsey. Starring for Cardiff in their run to the FA Cup final in 2008, he was always highly rated, and showed his quality when given a chance in the games Wenger usually reserves for his young charges – domestic cup ties and Champions League dead rubbers. But he never really shone in the biggest matches and the weekly grind of the Premier League, until he gathered some form in the 2009/10 season.
No one needs reminding what happened next. The Welshman refused to accept the apology of Ryan Shawcross after his horrific leg break against Stoke City, and it is easy to understand why, when considering how long it took for Ramsey to recover and get back to something approaching the same form. But when he did, his timing was perfect. It was just days after a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham, which looked like consigning Arsenal to finish behind their north London rivals for the first time in the Wenger era. In the Allianz Arena, against a dominant Bayern Munich side which were not so much sweeping aside their opponents as scything through them at will, Ramsey produced the most mature performance of his young career. It was the Welshman’s surge forward which started the move which saw Arsenal open the scoring early on and give Bayern Munich their most uncomfortable 90 minutes of a treble-winning season.
While the current campaign has been when Ramsey has really shone, it is easy to forget that he dislodged Jack Wilshere from the team in the closing months of last season. Arsenal’s late season form, as they held onto a top four spot once again, was in no small part down to the maturing performances of Ramsey.
So what actually changed about his game? The main thing appears to be confidence. During pre-season, Arsenal’s coaching staff considered him their most impressive performer and now it is apparent to everyone else exactly why. Ramsey is playing with a fluidity and confidence he did not have before. During the periods when he was maligned by the Gunners’ faithful, Ramsey seemed scared to try anything too ambitious, to take a risk. The pass he played was often the safe one. Ramsey also had a tendency to make poor decisions in crucial areas of the pitch, whether it was attempting an over ambitious pass in his own half and gifting the opposition possession in a dangerous position, or rushing a shot when clean through on goal.
The Ramsey of this season is a world apart. With eight goals from ten shots on goal, his finishing is clinical. But that is a product of his confidence and that he has learned not to rush himself when in a good position. The second goal he scored against Sunderland earlier this season was a case in point. Played through on goal, he did not have much time before he was closed down, but he used it brilliantly, finding a crucial yard of space before side-footing into the net. The Ramsey of a year ago would have put his foot through the ball and probably hit the goalkeeper’s legs. It takes confidence and belief for a player to trust their finishing, rather than just hitting the ball as hard as they can with the laces. The groans used to be audible whenever Ramsey would get into a good position to shoot and fire hopelessly over the bar. Now it is a rarity that the ball will be off target.
The Welshman’s goalscoring and play is reminiscent of Chelsea’s Frank Lampard. Like Lampard, Ramsey has remarkable stamina and covers more ground than most players on the pitch. Also like Lampard, he has a confident touch, plays the game simply but effectively, and has developed that cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. It is this which makes him such a threat and the most remarkable thing about his rise is that he has put at risk the first team place of Wilshere, a player considered not long ago critical to Arsenal’s hopes of success. But Ramsey has, quietly and efficiently, become the glue that holds this Arsenal team together. He is the main link between the Arsenal defence and attack, a player who directs the play intelligently, and his growing maturity is mirroring that of the team. That more than anything, is giving Arsenal hope that this could be the year that years of famine turn to gold.
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