Away 2-2 Manchester United, a wave of 20 unbeaten, Arsenal is still "unwinnable". From two consecutive defeats at the beginning of the season to today's unbeaten streak, one of the big changes in Emery's team is that the waist bar has hardened - 22-year-old Uruguayan back Torreira has now become the new favorite of Arsenal.
Ten years after Gilberto Silva left, Arsenal had finally found a suitable replacement.
Short in stature and mediocre in qualifications, Torreira is not the traffic bearer who can make headlines. But so what? In previous city showdowns, Lucas Torreira, whose energy and effect far exceeded his size, was Arsenal's derby hero who crushed Tottenham. He used the data of 100% steal success rate, 90% pass accuracy, 68 touches, 48 passes, and 12 counter-attacks (the most in the whole game), becoming the best in the game. Against Manchester United, he also delivered an assist, becoming the highest-rated player in the Gunners' team.
Whether it is the 3-4-2-1 back,or the 4-3-3 up front pressure, with Emery's decisive and precise on-the-spot command, the utility and influence of the Uruguayan back are revealed. Anticipating, pressing, counter-grabbing, covering, combing and even kicking the door, in the words of Gunners star Martin Keion, "he should be the best all-round midfielder Arsenal have after Vieira and Gilberto Silva." ”
From being a substitute in the opening stages to sitting firmly in the last two months, Torreira's run-in with Arsenal has gradually improved like Emery's drastic reforms.
So far, arsenal have scored 30 goals and conceded 13 in Torreira's 1,055 minutes of appearance, far better than the 4-again-9 goal ratio he conceded as a spectator (295 minutes). In addition, as long as he starts, the Gunners remain undefeated.
From his debut in Serie B Pescara, to Sampdoria in Serie A until he joined Arsenal this summer for £26 million for a "cabbage price", the 22-year-old Torreira is arguably the best signing in the Premier League so far this season.
Incidentally, he played five games at the World Cup in Russia, but was only drafted by Tabarez at the beginning of this year: on March 23, in the China Cup against the Czech Republic, he made his debut for the national team at the Guangxi Sports Center.
Torreira, who is only 168 centimeters tall, was born in the western Uruguayan city of Frey Bentos, where Uruguay's first large meat canning factory was born.
As a teenager, Torreira traveled from his hometown to Montevideo, waiting for an opportunity in the teenage echelon in Penarol. However, the plan could not keep up with the change, and an external situation occurred, which made him lose the conditions for boarding. Between the dilemmas, he finally relied on the generosity of his old owner 18 de julio to return to his hometown.
For the cultivation and care of 18 de julio, Torreira has always been grateful, and many years later, he even used the old owner's logo as his tattoo. Hugo Luiz, then head of 18 de julio, said: "Lucas spent his entire childhood here and he loved the club unconditionally. ”
In Hugo Luiz's memory, Torreira was used to playing against older players during his youth years, fearless and acting as the leader of the team. In 2013, the Uruguayan, who had changed his court, almost missed the opportunity to go to Pescara for a trial because of his short stature, but thanks to the insight of the youth coach Piris of Montevideo Wanderers at the time, the former was able to catch a flight to Italy.
After trials and challenges, Torreira managed to stay in Italy, but at that time he was still a forward. As the coach of Pescara u-19 at the time, former Italian international Odo played the Uruguayan Bole, and it was under his persuasion that the South American teenager made up his mind to take a step back and open the sky.
"At the time, Odore told me that if I had to stick to it on the offensive end, my ceiling would be at most Serie C level," Torreira recalled, "so he said he wanted me to stand in front of the defender and try a new position." ”
From the front court to the back, from the forward to the back, with outstanding ball quotient and cognition, Torreira not only became Odo's favorite, but also followed his mentor all the way to the senior team and entered the professional arena.
Despite the infestation of homesickness, but through the trials of Pescara and Sampdoria, the Uruguayans' fame has risen as expected. Sampdoria coach Marco Giampolo once said: "If Torreira had a big man of 1 meter 8, he would definitely be worth 100 million euros. ”
Well, thanks to the help of the nobles of 18 de julio, Piris and Odo, Arsenal were able to find a successor to Gilberto Silva.
With Torreira's glow, Arsenal fans have borrowed from past songs praising Vieira and began to shout for the Uruguayan: "Torreira, Torreira, he's from Uruguay, he's only 5'5 inches tall..."