Is Takehiro Tomiyasu underrated?


Is Takehiro Tomiyasu underrated?

By Jonny Bray
Takehiro Tomiyasu was one of the surprise packages of last season.
The Japanese international was a relative unknown when he joined Arsenal from Italian side Bologna for just £16million.
However, he quickly established himself as Arsenal's first-choice right-back despite competition from experienced Portuguese international Cédric Soares.
Ahead of the 2022/23 season, the Gunners have been linked with a host of defenders, and a few right-backs have even been rumoured to be on their way to the Emirates in the hope of snatching Tomiyasu's starting spot. 
But is that necessarily fair on the Japan international who has earnt the chance to keep his starting spot in the side? 
It appears as if many people still don't think that the defender is good enough to compete at the highest level. 
So, with that in mind, what better time to assess whether fans and pundits don’t rate Tomiyasu highly enough.

Tomiyasu is underrated 

Tomiyasu proved he is one of the most consistent players in the Arsenal squad last season. 
The versatile 23-year-old rarely put in a poor performance in his debut campaign. 
His value to the team became most apparent when he suffered an injury, forcing him to miss the climax to the season. 
The Gunners looked a far weaker side during the second half of the season, with Tomiyasu unavailable for 13 games in that period. 
Those games included crucial defeats against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton that put Tottenham back in contention for a Champions League place. 
That wasn't entirely down to Tomiyasu's absence, with several key players injured during that time. 
However, Mikel Arteta's team did look significantly less steady down the right without him. 

Tomiyasu is not underrated

Tomiyasu may be a solid operator, but he is arguably too defensively minded to play at right-back for a top-six side. 
He fired blanks in front of goal last term and only registered one assist. 
In the era where full-backs can register 11 or more assists a season, that simply isn't good enough to justify a starting spot in Arteta's side.
He is an excellent defensive option, but the Gunners may need a more attacking alternative to play against smaller sides if they need to break the opposition down. 
He also lacks pace, making him vulnerable against faster wingers in the league. 

Conclusion

Tomiyasu is probably one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. 
Sure, he is not on the level of a Trent Alexander-Arnold or a Reece James, who are both world-class in the final third. 
But he is one of the best defensive full-backs in Europe, and a massive asset to the squad, considering he is versatile enough to also play in the heart of Arteta's defence.
Over the next few seasons, we will see if he is good enough to take Arsenal back into the Champions League. 
But fans should back him to succeed after an excellent first 12 months in English football.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

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