An Interview With LaLigaTV Presenter Semra Hunter : Gunners

What type of player have the Gunners got themselves?

“First and foremost, they have a player on their hands that they can really get excited about. On paper, Thomas is a defensive midfielder, but the truth is is that he’s far more than just that. He’s very complete. At 27 and quite possibly in his prime, I want to focus here on what he’s capable of.

That’s not to say that there isn’t room for further growth and improvement, but there are a lot of positives about his game and what he can offer. He can play deep and protect the defence while also controlling the tempo of a game, but there’s a nice blend there as he likes to go forward and does a fairly decent job at that, too.

Not averse to risks, you’ll see him taking long range shots every now and again, nor is he any stranger to scoring the odd goal either. But perhaps where he excels is in his dribbling, ability to make both short and long passes (particularly diagonals) while dishing out to attacking players quickly and with finesse, plus ball recoveries high up the pitch due to his pressing.

He’s far more technical and intelligent a player than most may give him credit for. Even Diego Simeone himself once said that he felt Thomas was underrated simply for the fact that he came through their youth system instead of originating from a bigger club.

But what Thomas has also developed under Simeone is confidence, and that’s gone a long way in seeing him blossom into a leader on and off the pitch. To my understanding, that is someone Arsenal could really do with.”