Arsenal’s forgotten man reminded fans what he is capable of against Newcastle
Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos passes the ball during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between Bournemouth and Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on January 27, 2020. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Dani Ceballos escaped Real Madrid in the summer, joining Arsenal on loan, with the mercurial Spaniard failing to have the impact he may have desired at the Santiago Bernabeu since arriving in 2017. In total he has made 56 appearances, scoring on five occasions and assisting twice for Los Blancos.
However, Arsenal are set to endure their worst Premier League season since 1994/95, based on their current league standing. Plus Ceballos missed 54 days of action with a torn muscle bundle meaning his career hasn’t kick-started as he may have hoped at the Emirates Stadium, and earlier on it was easy to forget he was there at all.
Although, against Newcastle United, there were signs that the 23-year-old could be heading back towards his Real Betis best, though he was unable to add to his two assists for the season. Ceballos took 108 touches of the ball and retained possession with a laser-guided 95.6 per cent pass accuracy, and his three key passes highlight the Spaniard did not always choose the easy option. Additional evidence he was probing the opposition defence comes in the form of Ceballos having completed the most passes in the attacking third against Newcastle, 35.
Furthermore, his combination with Mesut Ozil in the engine room may not be incredibly mobile, but they are outstandingly inventive attacking footballers who allowed Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to flourish further forwards. The pair were the perfect combination in midfield against Newcastle’s low block, which allowed the Gunners time and space to unpick their back five. Against high pressing teams, such as Liverpool the duo’s lack of industry would likely be over-run, but against sides like Burnley and the Magpies, Ceballos may provide the answer.
There was no mention of an option to buy when the 23-year-old Spaniard joined Arsenal. Still, with Zinedine Zidane seemingly focused on securing Paul Pogba’s signature, Ceballos appears to be out of the picture with the Frenchman in charge. Therefore, it might be wise for Arsenal to enquire about securing the Spanish international’s services if he is available for a fee close to the £14.85m Madrid paid three years ago.