Arsenal went into the international break after a terrible performance against Aston Villa at home. The Gunners were beaten 3-0 and arguably lucky not to have lost by more.
The players were predictably disappointed by the result and would have wanted to set things straight immediately. Sadly, the international break means they will have to live with that result for a couple of weeks.
One player who would have looked forward to the international games more than most was Hector Bellerin.
The full-back was called up to the Spain squad for the first time in four years and started the game against the Netherlands last night.
The former Barcelona man looked a threat in attack and was unlucky not to grab an assist as Alvaro Morata missed a golden chance.
Bellerin did fairly well defensively too but Spanish outlet El Desmarque slammed his performance, giving him a meagre 4/10 rating.
The news outlet wrote: “The Arsenal star suffered at times when controlling an attacker of the level of Memphis Depay.”
This isn’t the first time Bellerin’s defending has been questioned. The Spaniard is a useful player in attack and his pace often causes a lot of problems to opposition defenders when he overlaps his winger.
The Arsenal man has four assists to his name already this season. He has been hailed by many supporters for his solid performances since the start of the campaign. However, his defensive frailties were evident in the game against Aston Villa last weekend.
Bellerin’s Villa stats
Bellerin won just four out 11 duels, gave away possession 14 times and was dribbled past twice. He committed three fouls and none of his five crosses found a target inside the box against the Villans, who ran riot at the Emirates (SofaScore).
The 4/10 rating was harsh, although there’s no doubt the Arsenal man has room for improvement in defence.
However, Bellerin has started the season with Arsenal well and if he can continue that form he’ll give give Spain manager Luis Enrique a selection headache ahead of the Euros.
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