At the beginning of the 2014/15 campaign, there was a 19 year old defender in Arsenal’s ranks that had many Gooners buzzing, a lad who, despite not having yet donned the cannon on his chest in a first team match, seemed poised to make a real impact in the squad. Go back to August 2014, and most Arsenal supporters would agree, that lad was: Calum Chambers. Fast forward to April, 2015, and the now 20 year old Hector Bellerin, rather than Chambers, is the on everyone’s lips at the Emirates.
With both newly minted defensive signings Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers out injured, Bellerin debuted for Arsenal in the Champions League against Dortmund in September, then made his first Premier League appearance in October against Hull City, playing the full 90. And he’s been gaining momentum ever since. Of late, Bellerin has been among the first names on the team sheet, despite his youth, playing five of the Gunners’ six matches in March, and completing all 90 minutes in three of them—no small feat for a lad who’s only just recently turned 20. Then, the recent piece de resistance for the young Spaniard came on April 4th, as he scored the opening goal at the Emirates against Liverpool with a calm, beautiful curling shot.
So, whence Bellerin’s rise to Arsenal’s starting XI?
When It IS Broke, Who Fixes It?
The first, foremost, and most straightforward answer is injury. Bellerin came to Arsenal from Barcelona’s La Masia academy when he was still 16, explicitly saying he was inspired by Cesc Fabregas’ switch, and hopeful of the same early start enjoyed by Fabregas; that, at least at first, did not appear likely. Until recently, Bellerin was considered a third, if not a fourth option, but after spending much of last season on loan with Watford, the departure of Bacary Sagna to Manchester City (who now, himself, has a turn on the bench), and injuries to both Chambers and Debuchy catapulted Hector Bellerin from an unlikely bench warmer into a starter by necessity.
To his credit, he has seized the opportunity, and has looked calm beyond his years, even against big clubs: cf. his role in victories against Manchester City (2-0) and Liverpool (4-1), both vital matches in which Bellerin played the full 90 minutes. Had Mathieu Debuchy been fit, even with Bellerin’s fine form, in such a high-pressure match, Arsene Wenger would’ve been hard pressed to leave a man with more than two dozen caps for France on the bench in favor of Bellerin, merely 20, no matter his skill and form.
Take Us To Warp, Mr. Sulu Bellerin
Among Bellerin’s best characteristics on the football pitch is his pace. This has been a hot topic of late, with reports that Bellerin had bested both Thierry Henry and Theo Walcott’s previous sprint records at Arsenal (he did), that could outrun Usain Bolt in the 40 meter dash (he can’t), and that world indoor sprint champion Richard Kilty has wagered 30,000 GBP that it’s all bollocks and Bellerin should test himself in a race against Kilty (he shouldn’t). But Bellerin is not a track star; he’s a footballer. And on the football pitch, his pace has helped him greatly, and has shown both in tracking back to recover his positioning, or to make a tackle, after a breakaway by the opposition, and in his ability to get forward quickly.
However, despite his remarkable pace, I’d like to see more from the young Spaniard’s speed. If Bellerin truly is faster than Walcott—and the player himself has confirmed this is the case—then he should be beating defenders more consistently with his pace. I understand that Bellerin’s game, unlike Walcott’s, demands much more attention to defensive tactics, positioning, closing down, and tackling, and it is thus an extra onus on the player to add offensive dribbling to his technical arsenal. (Though it must also be said that, on the flip side, were Theo Walcott more astute defensively, he might actually find himself in the squad.) Still, this seems to me somewhat akin to not knowing the combination of buttons for your character’s strongest move in Street Fighter: the potential is in there, but you’re still left wanting if you can’t use your greatest asset.
But Bellerin’s just begun to play. This, for me, is what’s so exciting about Hector Bellerin: his ceiling is f***ing celestial. At 20 years and 1 month, Bellerin has a few more trips around the sun before he even fully fills out his frame, say nothing of technique and tactics. And yet, Bellerin is already scoring beautiful goals—for anyone on the pitch, say nothing of a full back. He is already proving himself reliable enough defensively to play a full 90 minutes against a Manchester City or a Liverpool. He is already tracking back, positioning well, and making tackles at a level commensurate with the fullback of a top EPL club.
Now, imagine that consistently excellent defender with a bit more muscle, more confidence on the dribble, and a consequent willingness to attempt to use his speed more consistently in beating players off it. (Wipe up the drool and read on.) Hector Bellerin must yet prove his mettle on a longer, year-to-year basis; but if he can, Bacary Sagna may well find himself eating his £150,000-a-week, bench-riding heart out up at the Etihad. And Arsenal supporters may find themselves with even more drool on their chins.