Jurrien Timber has been an ever-present in Arsenal's squad this season, with the Dutchman finally showing his quality in a Gunners shirt.
After moving to north London from Ajax in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth up to £38million, expectations were high of the Dutchman. Capable of playing anywhere across the backline, Mikel Arteta pushed hard to sign the versatile defender and it was thought he could help take Arsenal to the next level.
Things did not work out as planned, though. In the first Premier League match of the 2023/24 season, Timber tore his ACL and did not feature again until the last game of the campaign. It was an incredibly frustrating period for the former Ajax man but he worked extremely hard to be fully fit ahead of the current campaign.
"It is not easy to come to a big club like here and start to set expectations with his performances and then on day one in the Premier League you are out for the season," Arteta told the club's official website. "But mentally he is a really tough boy.
"He is so willing, you can see that in his body language and the way he acts. He has worked so hard, I think he is in a really good place at the moment."
Arteta added: "He is a leader. He loves to be on show and a big presence in everything that we do. He is very vocal and extremely gifted technically. He is a great addition to the team."
Timber has already racked up 36 appearances for the Gunners this term, and has even pitched in with a goal and two assists. In fact, he has only missed five games which is a huge testament to his fitness and role in the side. Injuries to Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori has meant the Dutchman has played both at left-back and right-back, with his performances consistent and impressive.
However, Timber is walking somewhat of a discipline tightrope at the moment and needs to be careful in the coming weeks. In Arsenal's 27 Premier League matches, the defender has picked up seven yellow cards.
Under The FA's rules, players who receive a total of 10 yellow cards in their side's first 32 Premier League matches receive a two-match suspension. Will Hughes and Sasa Lukic have become the first players to reach 10 bookings this season, while the likes of Moises Caicedo, Liam Delap and Ryan Christie have picked up nine bookings.
Arsenal have currently played 27 league matches which means Timber will be banned for two matches if he picks up three yellow cards in the Gunners' next five games. With White and Calafiori back to full fitness, and the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney also capable of playing full-back, Timber may even be afforded a well deserved rest in the next month or so, which would decrease the likelihood of a suspension.
