PETR CECH
Petr Cech is the ultimate professional. He looks after himself, is a brilliant ‘keeper and he is a great example to our young goalkeepers. No player has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League than him, and he’s already kept four this season forming part of an Arsenal defence which has had a strong start to the season. He made a big decision to leave Chelsea and join one of their rivals but the fans love him and it’s easy to see why.
HECTOR BELLERIN
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player who is as quick across the ground as Hector Bellerin. I’m sure I heard that he could have been a sprinter if he wanted and I don’t think anyone would be surprised if he was. He’s good on the ball and he carries a threat whenever he comes forward, often overlapping the wingers and providing assists with the odd goal.
THEO WALCOTT
Theo Walcott has been on a rich vein of form and he will want to continue that when Arsenal come to the Stadium of Light. With eight goals in 14 games he will be the Gunners’ primary striker and Lamine Kone will need to be on his toes, particularly due to the pace that Walcott possesses. There have often been question marks over his final product which I’ve felt has been a little unfair, but now he’s fit and firing he’s proving a few people wrong.
LAURENT KOSCIELNY
Laurent Koscielny has been a staple of Arsenal’s defence for many years but what he’s sometimes lacked is a partner, so the arrival of Shkodran Mustafi has given him a new lease of life. He played well with Per Mertesacker but the German is often missing due to injury, so to see him in a settled back four means we’re seeing him at his very best. He’s good in the air, calm on the ball and he can also score a goal from set pieces, so he’s certainly a player to keep your eye on.
ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
I played with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s father – Mark – during my time with Portsmouth and he’s following in his footsteps. Both have played for England and I can see similarities in their play, so I always keep an eye on Alex and he’s recently come into some form. It’s a big season for him so it was great to see him score a couple of goals midweek, and he will be hoping he’s done enough to feature this weekend.
SANTI CAZORLA
Santi Cazorla is an outstanding player and like Cech he’s a player that youngsters can learn a lot from. He has the ability to produce magic but most important of all he looks like he really enjoys playing football and has fun every time he’s on the pitch. A couple of seasons ago he came up here and won man of the match meaning he met a few of our fans post-match, and he was very genuine and took time to speak to everyone. He glides across the pitch at 31 and his game has showed no signs of slowing down which is a testament to how hard he works.