Folks swinging back and forth on Zubi like Mark Goldbridge declaring a team champions, only to call them bottlers the following week.
Quietly effective without all the TikTok bullshit.
Although I do wish his song wasn’t that Kaiser Chiefs bollocks - a dog shot dad-rock band for fucking indie rock tourists. Rather it should have been his name to the tune of “Let’s go Fucking Mental.”
Did anyone notice that effort of Zubi to deny Sunderland a shot on target and possibly a goal since he was the last man standing, when score was 1-0.
That was a great interception and key to our win yesterday
What a depressing list lol
Still not playing forward (and far) as much as he’s capable of, but it pesky matter. I’m shocked by how good that he’s been off the ball. The types of goals he scored have been so varied as well. Zubi has been a revelation and Rice has improved. What a signing.
Zubi is a deep lying playmaker??
Surely hasn’t played that for us for most of the time.
You’re right, he’s a shallow honest playmaker.
The biggest part of his positive attacking contribution came from those runs he would make into the final third, acting as an 8, box to box.
If you’re really count him as a DLP primarily he’s had a pretty average season and shouldn’t even be on that list. As DLPs both Partey and Jorginho were clear ahead of him.
It’s interesting how often this season Rice acts as a DLP, much more often than last season (in those games where he wasn’t the actual 6; where we either had Partey or Jorginho). Part of the reason, I think, is that Zubi simply isn’t good enough there atm and Arteta wants to share that burden between them.
I’m confused, DLPs can’t attack the box?
Of course they can, but they should be primarily judged by what they do as deep lying playmakers, no?
I’d say Zubi has been kinda, decent, OK at best, iffy at times, in those situations while we’re breaking a high press and we need to get the ball out of our backline. Or, when it simply gets tight in midfield, I don’t see him making too many key progressive moves.
I agree about your point regarding Rice coming deeper nowadays, you can see it with Merino and Odegaard too.
I don’t think that’s down to Zubimendi not being good enough but moreso due to our tactical adjustments of avoiding using inverted fullbacks.
If anything, Zubi is on level terms with others mentioned. Enzo gets help from Caicedo and/or James, Bruno gets help from Tonali, Tielemans gets help from Onana/Kamara, Vitinha from Neves, etc.
Yeah, none can do it all by himself. But I’d say pretty much all of those are at least a bit better when they need to progress the ball from those tight positions under pressure.
I didn’t expect him to be so good in the final third. A welcomed surprised for sure. Also glad he has the freedom to roam - I think Arteta has changed the way our 6 works this season.
If you picked Vitinha, take a bow
https://x.com/score90_/status/2022000249263599768?s=46&t=eJpgg6uHWRsStnASv-OePg
I don’t understand on what basis people voted for Zubimendi
I’d think one of the reason is because he’s better. 
On a serious note though, I think those poll results are fair. Them two are the top two currently and think who you then pick for #1 is probably down to preference.
It’s down to who’s better and proven it.
Who you voting for ahead of him then?
Another performance in midfield where we didn’t get a hold of the game and another performance where he just didn’t really seem to offer much.
When he gets into the final third he is an excellent player but too often he is guilty of passive passing an quite weak defensive positioning
He was really quiet against Brentford. Hardly roamed into their attacking third like he has been lately. We could have done with that.
What actually is his consistent role? It’s very confusing? Is he suppose to be doing line breaking passes? Or support the back 4 or combination of both? Or is he just fatigued? Every top club wanted him last year.
The midfield isn’t clicking at all this season - Rice is the only exception but as a midfield unit, they don’t seem to be working well together. It’s either a tactical or personnel issue.