Christian Nørgaard: Depth, Leadership, and Yet More Set-Piece Threat for Arsenal ...Middle East

It’s not glamorous. Nor is it flashy. But sometimes it’s the unremarkable signings – like Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal – that make the most sense.

Although fans and the media would love it, not every signing has to be a headline-grabbing, budget-busting super move that plays out after a months-long transfer saga.

Goodness knows that Arsenal fans will be treated to plenty of that this summer. They’ve already signed Martín Zubimendi, and are strongly linked with Victor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke. Those high-profile signings will, rightly, dominate newspaper columns.

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But sometimes transfers can be sensible, unremarkable and, well, a bit boring. That’s probably not something to write in the opening paragraphs of an article introducing a potential new Arsenal player, but it seems to be the case with Christian Nørgaard.

Reports suggest Arsenal are close to completing a deal worth an initial £10 million to sign the Brentford midfielder, with a possible extra £2m in performance-related add-ons.

For that price, there’s plenty to like.

For starters, Nørgaard has been almost always available throughout his time at Brentford. He’s started 120 times for them in the Premier League across the club’s four campaigns in the top flight, making at least 30 starts in three out of four of them.

For context, only three Arsenal players have started more matches than that over the last four seasons. Two of them – Declan Rice (141) and Martin Ødegaard (130) – would likely benefit from not having to feature in practically every game for the Gunners. Although he is ostensibly a deeper-lying midfielder, Nørgaard could very feasibly offer valuable cover and relief for both.

We should also not forget that he’s been Brentford’s captain for the last two seasons. At 31, Nørgaard could add much-needed leadership and experience to Arsenal’s squad, the core of which, as the below matrix shows, is very young.  

But beyond the intangibles, what would Nørgaard offer on the pitch?

Under Thomas Frank, Brentford used a variety of formations – 3-5-2, 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 – with Nørgaard consistently deployed as the deepest-lying midfielder. With Jorginho and Thomas Partey gone, it’s reasonable to assume Nørgaard is being targeted to provide depth behind new signing Zubimendi.

So, how does he compare to the two players he’ll likely replace?

First, it’s worth pointing out it can be hard to make comparisons between players who played for teams with different styles. Arsenal, for example, averaged 57.0% possession in Premier League games last season to Brentford’s 47.8%. As a result, Arsenal players naturally see more of the ball and have more opportunity to pass, while Brentford’s players have more defensive responsibility. Any raw statistical comparisons need that context.

That’s not to say Nørgaard isn’t comfortable in possession, though. In the five games last season where Brentford’s possession exceeded 57% (i.e. matching Arsenal’s average), he completed the most passes (187) of any Brentford midfielder and at a higher success rate than anyone else (87.8%). They weren’t purely sideways passes either, with only Mikkel Damsgaard (27) completing more progressive passes than Nørgaard’s 15; although it should be said that progression from deep wasn’t the Brentford captain’s primary responsibility.

It’s without the ball where Nørgaard would bring qualities Arsenal’s departed midfielders lacked. Since Brentford’s first Premier League season in 2021-22, he has made more interceptions (201) and recovered possession more often (844 times) than any other player in the league. Yes, playing for Brentford who are happy to play without the ball is helping to boost those numbers, but they still speak to Nørgaard’s ability to read the game and break up opposition attacks.

Comparing his game specifically to Partey and Jorginho shows a more active player without the ball, and one who is stronger and more successful in duels, both on the ground and in the air.

What’s quite interesting about comparing Brentford and Arsenal is that, although the Gunners see a lot more of the ball, there are some defensive similarities between the teams.

As the below defensive-style graphic shows, Brentford (28%) led the league last season for the percentage of time they spent in a low block. Arsenal (21%) were fifth.

Signing someone well-versed in defending as part of a low block makes sense for a team like Arsenal, who will often need to protect leads and are seemingly happy to retreat in defence to do so.

Set-pieces are another area where Nørgaard could contribute. As we’ve covered at length on these pages, Arsenal excel at dead-ball situations and Nørgaard’s ability in both boxes will be attractive.

The Brentford man is excellent in the air. His overall aerial duels success rate of 61.9% last season was 11th highest of all Premier League midfielders and second to only Ben White (66.7%), Nathan Collins (63.0%) and William Saliba (62.0%) – three defenders – among Brentford and Arsenal players.

Combining Brentford’s attacking and defensive corners, Nørgaard ranked second behind Collins (33) for the number of first contacts he made (29), either to attack the ball to score or to clear it away. He’s yet another Arteta signing who is tall, physical and aerially dominant.

His threat at set-pieces has also helped him chip in with a decent number of goals. Four of his five strikes last season came from crosses or set-pieces, and nine of his 11 career Premier League goals have come via dead-ball situations. Those include his first ever goal in the competition, scored back in August 2021 against Arsenal, when he bundled in a long throw-in at the back post.

That was a game in which Arsenal were criticised for being soft and physically overpowered, unable to live with the physicality of Brentford. Perhaps it is no coincidence after that experience that Arteta has turned his side into one of the most physical, set-piece-savvy teams in the league. Nørgaard is yet another player who will help to elevate that profile.

If this move materialises, Nørgaard would be joining Arsenal just as his long-time manager Thomas Frank takes charge at Tottenham. The pair had worked together since their time at Brøndby and in Denmark’s youth setups, and Frank was key in bringing him to Brentford.

Interestingly, despite almost exclusively playing him as a defensive midfielder, Frank has previously said Nørgaard is best suited to playing as an eight or even a 10. Perhaps Arteta sees some additional positional flexibility in him.

Sometimes, it’s the boring things in life that can bring the most satisfaction. Fresh bedsheets. Opening a newly delivered parcel. Colour-coded spreadsheets.

Arsenal signing Christian Nørgaard? Maybe that’s another one to add to the list.

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Christian Nørgaard: Depth, Leadership, and Yet More Set-Piece Threat for Arsenal Opta Analyst.

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