Arsenal hope for big things from the diminutive Lucas Torreira | Amy Lawrence

The Uruguayan caught the eye in the World Cup. Now the Gunners hope he will do the same for them

Time for Torreira. That is the motto Arsenal chose to accompany all their messaging about the most pivotal of the five new recruits they have welcomed to try to help Unai Emery rework the shape of the team. Arguably, time for Torreira is long overdue in the sense that Arsenal have missed the kind of characteristics he possesses for aeons.

It feels like a long time since Arsenal went to Chelsea armed with a midfield ready to compete seriously in that department. Once upon a time they used to approach this fixture with a feeling of superiority that came from years unbeaten at Stamford Bridge. A look at the lineup towards the end of that era spells out why they felt able to walk so tall. A central midfield built around the muscular Patrick Vieira, Gilberto and Edu – all athletes over six feet tall who were as comfortable protecting the back four as projecting the game forwards – was a formidable obstacle for any team trying to make inroads of their own.

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