Zubimendi and the Evolution of Arsenal’s Midfield
A detailed look at how Zubimendi’s profile unlocks a new level of fluidity in Arteta’s system.
Martín Zubimendi is a mix between Jorginho and İlkay Gündoğan.
Like Jorginho in the sense that he is a small, lightweight, pass-heavy, and technical #6 who is often fixed positionally and dictates the flow with progressive and circulatory passing.
Like Gündoğan in the sense that he is mobile, nimble, and can speed up the game through dribbling.
Where Zubimendi separates himself from Jorginho is his mobility.
He can turn, evade pressure, and utilise more angles to play out of pressure.
Jorginho was quite stiff and limited physically.
Zubimendi has a higher technical ceiling because he can turn fluidly.
This is where the Gündoğan comparison becomes apparent, although they are not the same.
Gündoğan has always been a #8 profile, whereas Zubimendi has always been a #6 profile.
However, because of their unique skillsets, both have the capacity to play each role to a top standard.
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And, interestingly enough, both do it from the left.
This is because they are technical profiles at heart.
So, from the left, as right-footers, they can simply see more of the pitch as they face infield.
Mechanically, however, Zubimendi is closer to Jorginho or Busquets.
Or, at least, he has been conditioned to play that way.
However, he is not as fixed or as immobile as Jorginho and Busquets.
He is more mobile to carry and to dribble.
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The major difference in body mechanisms centres around their posture.
Jorginho has a more upright posture than Zubimendi.
Zubimendi is smaller and more hunched over.
Jorginho was reliant on deceit in a dribble (clever feints). Zubimendi does that but can wriggle out of pressure.
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However, Zubimendi is not quite as fluid in possession as guys like Gündoğan, Éver Banega, or even Tijjani Reijnders now at Manchester City.
It is why I said the player is a mix of Jorginho and Gündoğan.
He operates with the fixed mechanisms of a #6 with a touch more fluidity.
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The aforementioned midfield profiles Gündoğan, Éver Banega, and Tijjani Reijnders are #8's, so they have played with their body oriented towards their right from the left #8, whereas Zubimendi has played the #6 so the demands on his body are stationary, yet universal.
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Let's look at some situations to depict these descriptions with complete clarity.
#1) we see “the Gündoğan angle” - the angle where the body is oriented towards their right from the left. Lots of players to pass to.
#2) we see “the Zubimendi angle” - stationary, in the middle of the pitch.
Of course these guys play at all sorts of different angles throughout the game, but this is their most typical body shape in their respective roles.
To play Gündoğan's role, you have more freedom.
To play Zubimendi's role, you are often at a stand still and play at 360 degrees.
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Zubimendi stays central as the game happens around him, just like with Busquets or Jorginho.
That is what curates their body mechanisms.
However, naturally, Zubimendi is more mobile and nimble than those guys, so he has the potential to play within the Gündoğan paradigm as well.
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And this is where things become exciting beyond belief for Arsenal’s dynamics.