Earlier this season, Kirkland was loaned to Charlton by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who had no idea that he would become Arsenal's key midfielder in 2015. Last season, the French midfielder was also sent to Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, to be trained, but there he did not appear in the position he was good at.
In mid-December last year, due to injuries attacks on both Arteta and Ramsey, Kirkland was recalled by Wenger in the face of a team's disorganized lineup. For a short time, Wenger simply could not find a suitable candidate for this position. This is a great opportunity for Cochrane, and if he can seize this opportunity, then he has a chance to rewrite his future at Arsenal.
In Arsenal's 4-1 win over Liverpool, the 23-year-old French midfielder performed well and became Arsenal's midfield barrier. In January, Shortly after Cochrane won the starting spot, Arsenal also beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium, a match that made many fans feel incredible.
In both games, we were able to see the quality that Kirkland showed. In the game, he can always be where his teammates need it most, compete for the ball, fight hard, and use his effective running to create space in the front court to help the team tear apart the opponent's defense.
Under Ferguson, Fletcher's role in midfield should not be underestimated, and Kirkland's role in the Gunners was his role
Cochrane's role in Arsenal's games against Liverpool and Manchester City was the same role Fletcher played by Manchester United against Arsenal in the Ferguson era. However, for Cochrane, his job in the game is not just to steal and sabotage the offense.
In this big win over Liverpool, Rogers' disciples still had a few good chances in the first half. Markovich had created a great scoring chance for the team, but he didn't appear brave enough when the opportunity came. Perhaps he should have picked up his foot and chosen to shoot when facing Ospina, rather than passing to Sterling on the side after hesitation, although the latter's position might be better.
The young Serbian international's lack of confidence allowed Liverpool to miss out on a chance to lead. And this fragile psychological situation does not only occur in Markovic, because of Kirkland's tough performance in midfield, many players in Liverpool's squad have been suppressed. In the confrontation with the young French midfielder, neither Joe Allen nor Lucas showed the level they deserved. In fact, in the past Arsenal strong dialogue and defeat games, players like Gary Neville and Scholes can always use tough defense to force the other side to make mistakes. However, in this game, the players of this type of role became Wenger's winning weapon.
In the end, a fortuitous chance allowed Kirkland to successfully secure a place in the first team. Cochrane has grown tremendously in the game, and his performance on the pitch has always caused problems for opponents.
(Pictured) Heat map of Cockran's activity in Arsenal's match against Liverpool
The 23-year-old French midfielder played a crucial role in his previous game against Manchester United, limiting Herrera and Daly Blind in the game and restricting Carrick, who came on as a substitute in the second half. Against Liverpool, Kirkland continued his good form, not only having a satisfactory performance on the defensive end, but also being able to seize the opportunity to create attacking opportunities for the team.
Cazorla also had a lot of trust in Cochrane, and the rest of his Gunners teammates were relieved to hand over the responsibility of defending the midfielder to the young French midfielder. They will not crowd the Defensive Zone in The Cochrane and they are willing to give the French midfielder more space to play his indispensable role in midfield.
Although Cochrane also has a certain offensive ability, he has always been responsible for defense, patrolling the midfield like patrolling territory, weaving webs in the midfield like spiders waiting for the enemy to invade the predicament.
(Pictured) In the match against Liverpool, Kirkland made several effective interceptions near the middle circle
Against Liverpool, Kirkland completed six successful interceptions near the midline. He also tried 8 steals, but only 3 were successful.
Kirkland is highly alert, and he is able to stop the opponent's attack in advance by prejudgment. But he doesn't have enough steals, and maybe he needs to rely on the help of his teammates to cut off the ball to get the ball.
In the game, Kirkland was always running relentlessly to force opponents to hand over the ball. But as the game went on, we were also able to see the tired and frustrated expression on his face.
(Pictured) In the match against Liverpool, Cochrane's steal success rate was only 37.5%
Cochrane still has certain deficiencies in passing. The Frenchman was more inclined to send the ball to the feet of a nearby teammate after he had won the ball. Kirkland's short passes are also mostly lateral passes, and he does not have a good grasp of the timing of the ball, and he always puts all the pressure on his teammates.
It could also be that Cochrane is always between midfield and backline, a special "buffer zone" that he doesn't have enough time to work out. Both Mertesack and Koscielny maintained close ties with Cochrane, and in the match against Liverpool, Kirkland was even a little further back than ever before, in order to prevent Liverpool's pass from penetrating the defence.
(Pictured) In the match against Liverpool, Kirkland's passes were mostly short passes from close range
Arsenal's passing requirements for Cochrane are not high, and no Arsenal player in this position can match Cochrane's contribution. Although Flamini is more experienced, he is not as diligent as Cochrane, and his defense is not so solid. Arteta remains one of Arsenal's best midfielders out there, combining excellent steal-stealing and ball-handling skills, as well as the highest passing success rate per game in the league this season (94%). But he wasn't particularly suited for this type of job, as he didn't have the ability to react as quickly as Cochrane and fight deeper.
Arsenal also have to face strong opponents such as Chelsea and Manchester United in the league, and Wenger's side in the FA Cup may also meet Liverpool, so Kirkland will have to face more tests before the end of the season.
(Pictured) Cochrane tries to grab David Silva's ball during the game
In the next game against Chelsea, Kirkland will have a meaningful game, as he will face Nemanja Matic, the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League this season. Fans were also able to make a more objective assessment of Kirkland's performance through this game, and his future is unlimited.
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