In explaining why Jurrien Timber started at centre-back rather than right-back in pre-season against Manchester United, Mikel Arteta suggested that he viewed the triangle of Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka as sacrosanct.
“There is so much chemistry in that right unit,” Arteta said. “That relationship has been there for a long time and I believe at the moment that it’s better just to touch one thing.”
Before the north London derby against Tottenham a fortnight ago, the trio had started 62 of the previous 76 Premier League matches together. In that time, Arteta had only once named a Premier League XI that did not consist of at least two of the three components — the 3-1 home win over Burnley last November when White and Odegaard were absent.
Their games have become so synchronised and inter-dependent that it was almost impossible to imagine the Arsenal machine functioning any other way. But Odegaard has missed the last five games due to ankle ligament damage and faces many more weeks out, while White has not started the last three due to a groin issue and did not train ahead of tonight’s Champions League tie against PSG.
Misfortune is what forced Arteta to break with his devotion to his most trusted combination, but it may have inadvertently accelerated Arsenal’s evolution as a team.
In the 2-2 draw at the Etihad, Timber put in a formidable defensive display at right-back against Jeremy Doku that showcased his one-v-one capabilities. With Arsenal reduced to 10 men before half-time, it also showcased the intensity of his defending — he and Kai Havertz became the first outfielders in 21 years to play over 89 minutes of a Premier League game and not record one successful pass.
The dramatic late win over Leicester highlighted another part of his game. Timber created seven chances and teed up Gabriel Martinelli’s opening goal from a cutback. It was the joint most chances by a defender while also recording an assist in a single Premier League game since 2016-17 (Trent Alexander-Arnold has done it twice since then).
Most chances created by a defender in a Premier League game since 2016/17 whilst also providing an assist:
◎ 7 – TAA vs. Burnley (2021)
◎ 7 – TAA vs. Sheff Utd (2023)
◉ 7 – Jurriën Timber vs. Leicester (2024)Arteta’s new secret weapon. 😀 pic.twitter.com/9xnYDVlbfD
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 28, 2024
He underlapped and overlapped in perfect harmony with Saka, but his awareness on the ball and his understanding of which type of cross was required as he approached the byline was the most noticeable change for Arsenal.
White has been exceptional over the past two seasons with his defensive positioning, recovery running and decoy runs, helping make the right flank Arsenal’s most fluid department. If he has one limitation, however, it is that when in possession his brain works in straight lines and means he can be guilty of rushing to clear the ball or aiming for an area rather than reading a specific movement.
Timber, on the other hand, grew up in what is described as a ‘360’ schooling at Ajax, which is why he is so comfortable playing at centre-back, right-back, left-back or even defensive midfield.
With that flexibility in mind, at the start of last season a recalibration of the defence appeared underway. Timber started the Community Shield and the opening game of the season against Nottingham Forest at left-back. Thomas Partey started the latter at right-back with White partnering William Saliba rather than Gabriel. But 50 minutes into Timber’s Premier League debut an ACL injury put paid to any experimentation.
While Arsenal then rotated the left-back position without finding a satisfactory option, White at times played through discomfort, such was the reliance on him on the other side.
That evolution of the back four feels like it has belatedly resumed. Timber and summer signing Riccardo Calafiori have made such powerful introductions that Arsenal look like they have opened up new frontiers as an attacking side.
Both players are naturally centre-backs so can tuck in when the other goes forward, defending against counter-attacks. They are comfortable inverting into the centre of the pitch, receiving with their back to goal, and controlling the flow of possession. They can both dribble and underlap or overlap depending on the type of winger they are paired with.
Fundamentally, both players improve Arsenal’s press-resistance in possession and offer greater variety on the ball.
“They are two players that have the football brain, the intelligence, the courage, the quality and adaptability to occupy different spaces attacking and defending,” said Arteta yesterday. “That gives the team a different dynamic and makes us unpredictable for the opponent to defend. And they’re both huge personalities, which I love.
“Playing full-backs that are inverting with their natural foot for the flow and the units, it’s really important.”
Fulham centre-back Calvin Bassey, who partnered Timber in the Ajax defence during the 2022-23 season, was immediately struck by Timber’s unique blend of attributes.
“That’s my guy,” Bassey told The Athletic while being interviewed last year. “He’s so relaxed. The guy is the calmest player ever. His dribbling is a joke. He used to do these mazy runs where you just think, ‘How?’ He was like a midfielder playing at centre-back. Then I try it and I’m thinking, ‘Sheesh!’.
“He’s a leader as well. I seen it more because the team was so young that he was already one of the most experienced players. He was vocal but he was just a calm presence.”
Timber has only just turned 23, but he plays with a seriousness that matches Arteta’s demeanour.
The injured Oleksandr Zinchenko provides Arsenal with poise and penetration from deep positions when he inverts into a midfield position, but odd moments of slack defending and carelessness in possession visibly irked Arteta. He is trying to create a team that does not relent and has no obvious weaknesses.
As such, he has gone from recruiting specialists in Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu to the all-rounders of Calafiori and Timber who are dominant in all phases of play. That profile of player is a rare breed, but Arsenal acquired each for £34million and £42m.
There are some players who become more highly regarded the longer they are out, as people tend to romanticise their true level. Having been deprived of him for the entirety of his first year in English football, Timber has simply returned better than anyone could have imagined.
What makes his seamless integration into the team even more impressive is the severity of his injury. It took him 255 days to return to the pitch, making his comeback in April for Arsenal’s under-21 team. Although no longer a career-ending event, an ACL injury can still often be a career-changing one but concerns over Timber were quelled when he curled in a 25-yard scorcher inside eight minutes of his return.
The next question was whether the role Arteta had outlined to him was still there. That has been answered unequivocally, with Timber starting all bar one of Arsenal’s seven Premier League and Champions League games.
Key to his successful adaptation was the decision to stay in London for the duration of his recovery. It is common for international players to return to their home to receive treatment so that they are comfortable and can be near family. Timber is especially close to his family, even sharing a place with twin brother and Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber while he played for Ajax.
Those close to him say he was adamant that he wanted to stay around the club to immerse himself in the culture and learn the English way. That meant he was involved in all of the activities, team bonding and the presentations that included pre-match analysis. It helped him feel connected to the dressing room and enabled him to learn the intricacies of what Arteta wanted from his players in every position.
“He comes from Ajax, it was a big move, different country,” said Arteta. “He comes here with expectations, starts really well and then gets injured in the first game. Then what? You have to look ahead, eight, nine, 10, 12 months and you can feel very lonely and isolated from the team. That can be very disappointing and very difficult to handle personally and emotionally.
“He did the exact opposite. He started to build unbelievable relationships with the physios and his team-mates, he started to gather all the information he could about how we were playing and that really helped to understand him as a person and how we were playing in a much better way and to be prepared when he was back.”
(Top photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
