Santi Cazorla says he felt a big responsibility to be at the top of his game from the moment he arrived at Arsenal because of the significant financial outlay made by Arsene Wenger.
Signed for around £12 million last summer, the Spanish international has been one of the Gunners most consistent performers this term making more appearances than anyone else despite being a novice to the intensity of the Premier League.
Speaking to Arsenal.com the 28-year-old reflected on the pressure of signing for a big club:
“You always have the responsibility to play well. When you’re new and have arrived at such a big club like Arsenal, you’re aware of your responsibility to bring good performances onto the pitch.
“I’ve tried to apply this right from my first game. I’ve tried to play the best I can, play at the best level possible.”
Tipped by many Arsenal supporters to win the club’s Player of the Season award the little midfielder also touched on how the welcoming ambience around London Colney and his friendly teammates had made his integration easier.
“I’m enjoying the atmosphere here, especially the warmth shown by the Arsenal fans, which I didn’t expect to receive from day one.
“The club and my team-mates did a lot to help me settle in. Being new, coming into a different culture and not speaking the language is always difficult.
“But Arsenal made me feel part of everything right from the off, as if I’d been part of the side for years, and this was reflected in my performances on the pitch. I felt at home and I played well. But you can always improve.”
Improve he might but in truth there’s little more that Arsenal fans could have asked from Cazorla in his first season.
Like David Silva at City and Juan Mata at Chelsea, his technical quality is a thing of beauty. Granted, it does feel as though he could have added a few more goals to his game but when you consider the 12 he’s bagged this term is his highest ever personal haul it puts things in perspective.
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Hat tip to Football 365 for the lookalike suggestion.
Santi has been our best signing for years.
Add a 2-3 players of Santi’s quality for striker/midfield and we finally break the 8 year trophy famine next season. You know you can do it again this summer, Arsene. Ball’s in your court, matey!
Every mention of Arsenal, Arsene or Arses has the obligatory 8 year reference, can arseblog not be a free zone? Dear Sky, WE FUCKING GET IT ALREADY
Blogs, there seems to be a lot of talk about Cesc coming back. What’s the chances? Please say high.
After they were viciously abused by Bayern yesterday, I’d say the chances have gone up. The clause is in the contract, a bunch of that lot are still not convinced with Cesc, and they’ll be under immense pressure to rebuild and restructure. The question though is, does Cesc wanna come back to us? Not too sure on that one myself.
I believe that we are on par with Barfalona this year. In fact, we did a far better job against Bayern than them, both home and away thanks to being nowhere near as one-dimensional as the Catalans.
They will be under top, top, top pressure to restructure and a lot of Barfalona fans are disillusioned with Cesc.
On the other hand, Barfa is Cesc’s true home. It’s like they’re the abusive father and we’re the caring uncle; he’ll always go back to the abusive father.
@Arsene Wenger – On a par? I agree that barca have been below par this year and that we put in a spectacular performance against Bayern but it might be a bit far to claim that we are similar. They are top of la liga, we are fighting for Champions League football. This is not to criticise Arsenal, just that trying to be too optimistic isn’t that helpful. Although I, like everyone else will pray for Cesc’s return.
I think what Arsene Wenger was saying there is that while we haven’t won anything, our game has been a lot more flexible than Barca’s this season (or particularly late this season) which would suit him more then the dribble the ball into the net style of Messi’s Barcalona. As for them winning the title, it wasn’t so much the great work that Barca have done in La Liga as it has been the hot & cold performances of their ownly challengers in Real Madrid, who without Ronaldo would have lost quite a few more points then they have this… Read more »
I’m so torn about this because I think once you’ve moved on, it is always a bad idea to go back, in the same way that getting back with an Ex almost always ends really badly.
More practically, how could we fit him into our current squad?
On the other hand — Its Cesc!–
Best signing in years? I reckon he’s at par (maybe more skilful yet no more important) with Per, Kos and Arteta.
Per-Arteta-Santi hands down the best players of the season.
Don’t forget Wilshire has been LANS and Ramsey has come around finally after knocking off the rust from his injury, playing with the handbrake off.
yep.
Wilshere and Ramsey aren’t really important signings as they are well-developed youngsters. Although i get your point.
What bout me? 🙁
Now I can’t help but think of Cazorla as Mighty Mouse.
Thats “El Mighty Mouse”
Not that it will stop commentators from calling him miTHy mouse.
If only everyone had his attitude from the start. Anyway that’s all in the past, if we keep our current mentality going from the start of next season, we’ll have a shot at the title.
The fact that he’s not in the PFA’s Team of the Year is proof that humanity is long overdue an extinction event so life can start over.
Best comment I have ever read on her. Still laughing!
I now have an image of someone just sitting, laughing/chuckling to themselves without stopping…..
great value for the money. i’m expecting bigger things next season after he’s had a full year with the squad, especially rosicky. it’s a joy watching them together. also interesting to hear his comments about how welcome he feels at arsenal. i can’t recall seeing a picture of him without a huge smile on his face!
You should see the ‘good morning’ photos he tweets. He looks confused in them.
He’s just great, I remember the day it broke we were signing him….the last time I got so excited about an Arsenal signing had been Davor Suker
Davor Suker was actually a great pick up as it took so much pressure off of Henry as Suker was the well known striker, though at the end of his career, he gave Henry a little bit of extra time to settle. It would have been great if HFB had gotten the same sort of cover to settle in. Think what it would have been like if Henry had to play every game as we had no one else, puts HFB position into some perspective. He has been great, as has Caz and Poldi so far this season. Number 1… Read more »
What a great Post from Hulk, always with the great comments…
Shit, forgot to change my name.
On newsnow it appears as:
“Cazorla: it was my responsibility to deliver Arseblog news.”
Just me? Soz.
What a bargain buy. I was shocked to see us get him for so little and without any competition for his signature.
Oh santi you are a joy . You forget that santi podi and giroud all had to hit ground running this year. I cant help but think the squad is very close to winning stuff.
People like carzola are the reason I fell in with arsenal in the first place true to the game as they come. Grace style and utter beauty. The arsenal way so to speak.
I wish he would shoot more from range like when first started playing for us. Love his dribbling too. But best of all he has a great attitude and is always smiling.
I like Mata. But Cazorla is awesome!
To be fair, Mata is awesome…..but Cazorla is fucking superb!
I don’t get it…
Is this not the Mata who shares joy and sorrow (and probably his girlfriend) with John Terry?
Is this not the Mata who cuddles up with A.Cole when the opportunity arises?
How can he be awesome? Skilled? yes…. talented? yes…… but Mata is awesome? Beggars belief!!
Tribalism is entertaining, but I think we need to keep things in perspective sometimes. John Terry is a vile, vile bastard.
On the other hand, Mata is of a similar mould to Cazorla and he could just as easily have been playing in red and white.
Arsene, you are supposed to say “he’s a top, top, top quality vile bastard
He’s fuckin excellent!
We Love you too Santi!
I hope other top talent from around the footballing world get to hear these wonderful comments about the culture at Arsenal. Roll-up roll-up, come and join the party…
Santi is joint top goalscorer for us this season matched only by walcott – nuff said
Great guy. Great signing. More of the same please Arsene. 🙂
We don’t want just some pity throphy next season. We want to win the Premire league title with 10 games to go and become Invincible once more and get our hands on a dimond throphy throphy given by the FA for second time Invincibles.
along to the chorus of ay ya ya yai
Ay ya ya yai santi carzola
He is a new gunner and he is a stunner
Our new boy is santi carzola
Ay ya ya yai santi carzola
You watch him he’s brilliant and he is resiliant
Our new boy is santi carzola
Ay ya ya yai santi carzola
stop that
Just a class player who can only get better if we sign class to help him. Long may we sing Santi’s name from the stands and I know we will get better with the core of players we have.
Him, Koscielny and Ramsey have been my faves this past season.
love santi. I FUCKING LOVE SANTI
I just think its great to have 3 spanish national quality players In our squad. I like how arsene has adapted with the times and our scouting network seems to be spending less time in france and more in spain and germany.
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Agreed with everyone else on this post – Santi is a superb signing and best one in years. My only beef is that we should have made this signing a couple of years ago and not only when Malaga were in financial trouble so that we could get him on the cheap. Our frugal ways have cost us Mata, Lewendoski and argubly Hazzard before he started to dominate in France and his transfer price went to an amount we could not afford. Quality like Silva and Mata cost money, we were very lucky with Santi’s price – I hope we… Read more »
You should see the ‘good morning’ photos he tweets. He looks confused in them. But delightful, nonetheless.
He’s been a brilliant three-in-one replacement + upgrade in place of Nasri, Cesc Fàbregas and Arshavin. He’s got Nasri’s clever, quick feet and dribbling cutting in from that left wing, he’s got Arshavin’s mercurial quality, ball control and one-touch flicks and most of all, Cesc’s unbelievable vision, playmaking qualities and passing range from the centre of the park. There’s always a feeling something’s going to happen when Santi touches the ball. Pure joy to watch. He’s also unbelievably two-footed, has a superb long shot on him, and is a real set-piece specialist. As complete a midfielder as you could possibly… Read more »