The outside back position, where Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellarin play for Arsenal, could be considered the black swan of soccer. It’s a position known to see lots of 1v1 action, where there’s a fine line between being a hero or an Internet GIF.
However, sometimes a duo comes along that changes not only how a team defends, but how they attack as well.
Left back Nacho Monreal and right back Hector Bellerin are two of the biggest reasons Arsenal have made their claim that they will be in the hunt for the Premier League title early this season.
It’s no surprise that Bellerin and Monreal have become such prominent figures at their respective positions, as Arsenal has always been a hotbed for producing a who’s-who of some of the game’s top backs. A list that includes, but isn’t limited to Sammy Nelson, Nigel Winterburn, Viv Anderson, Lee Dixon, Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, and Bacary Sagna.
Their stellar performance on the outside, especially this past Champions League group stage match vs. Bayern Munich with the Gunners European hopes on the line, has fans clamoring for more. The twitterverse has already made their claim about who they believe the best outside back duo in the world is.
We have two top class full backs: - Hector Bellerin - Nacho Monreal Both are quality full-backs who are both underrated!
— Arsenal News (@__arsenalnews_) October 21, 2015Hector bellerin n nacho monreal appreciation tweet
— POTTERboyy (@SidTheGooner20) October 20, 2015Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin are without a doubt the best full-backs in the world right now
— Alex (@the_khov) October 21, 2015Bellerin is a product of Barcelona’s youth development program. Born in the Catalonia capital, he joined the club in 2003 while he was still a young buck before making the move to London eight years later. Bellerin spent a year at Watford on loan before being recalled to the Gunners.
Injuries to Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers opened up the starting right back spot for Bellerin when he made his Champions League debut in a 2-0 Arsenal defeat to Borussia Dortmund Sept. 16 2014. He started for Arsenal in the 2015 FA Cup Final against Aston Villa May 30, where he helped the Gunners preserve the clean sheet. The spot has been his to lose since.
If you’ve ever watched him play, you know one thing that jumps out about Hector Bellerin: he’s lightning in a bottle. Bellerin broke Theo Walcott’s 40 meter sprint time (4.41), giving him the claim of Arsenal’s fastest player.
But you don’t have to take my word for it, as a quick Youtube search of Bellerin will reveal how fast he really is, including his assist to Mesut Ozil from the Bayern clash that gave the Gunners their second goal and the victory.
Bellerin started from his OWN HALF to make that tackle and set up that goal. Three touches later and the only person that had a chance of bringing him down was the turf monster. Ozil had the easy job of finishing the pass.
For Monreal, his path to Arsenal was a bit different. He was developed in CA Osasuna’s program, become a regular in Osasuna’s first team for 2006-2011, making 127 appearances and scoring three goals.
After a brief stint at Malaga, Monreal was signed by Arsenal in January 2013 on the last day of the transfer window being open. He made his debut against Stoke City two days later in a 1-0 Gunners victory.
Monreal, who by no means has Bellerin speed, is still quicker than a hiccup.
But what separates Monreal from his opposite-side counterpart is his defensive prowess, which is not to say that Bellerin isn’t a defender in his own right. It’s just that Nacho is more experienced and has a serious knack for the ball.
He’s won 66 percent of the 1v1’s he’s been challenged to this season, including the same percentage in aerial challenges. He’s also third on the team in clearances with 33 and has won 83 percent of his total tackles.
Monreal is also a prolific distributor of the ball. He’s fourth on the team with 479 total passes, only trailing the midfield trio of Ozil (481), Aaron Ramsey (558) and Santi Cazorla (752), completing 87 percent of those passes.
Internationally, both players have been members of the U16 Spanish National team and beyond. Monreal already has 16 appearances for La Roja since 2009, while Bellerin continues to climb the ranks, as he is currently a member of the U21 team.
Everyone likes to talk about Alexis Sanchez, Ozil, Cazorla and Petr Cech when it comes to Arsenal, but the key to success no doubt lies on the outside with these two Spaniards. If these two can stay healthy, Arsenal is a legit threat to continue to challenge for the Premier League title.
