Player Watch: Iwabuchi and Tomiyasu continue to shine at Arsenal

Mana Iwabuchi and Takehiro Tomiyasu have begun life at Arsenal in an impressive manner. Arriving in the summer transfer window, the duo have wasted no time in making significant contributions to their respective teams in the red half of north London.

Fans and teammates alike have taken to social media to show their affection and appreciation for two of the finest talents Japan has to offer. Seemingly in tandem, Iwabuchi and Tomiyasu have endeered themselves to Gunners fans the world over with a certain hype and charisma that is often found with Japanese players.

This is in no small part due to the roles the pair have played in turning the fortunes of their respective Arsenal sides. In this article we will examine the highlights and accomplishments Iwabuchi and Tomiyasu have enjoyed so far for Arsenal and Arsenal Women.

Mana Iwabuchi - "The Female Maradonna"

Since arriving at Meadow Park, Iwabuchi has consistently entertained fans with her dazzling technique and footballing intelligence. Powerful dribbling skills, a low center of gravity and excellent spatial awareness are the key elements regularly associated with her game. Affectionately dubbed “The Female Maradonna”, Iwabuchi serves as the creative engine of this Arsenal side.

In just a short time she has helped Arsenal Women get off to a flying start to the 2021-22 Women's Super League season and take an early lead at the top of the table. At the time of writing, Iwabuchi has featured in all five league fixtures, recording one goal and an assist each.

The Japan international also earned an early accolade for her wonderful goal against north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur Women in the Women’s FA Cup quarter-final. In an instance that exemplified her technical ability and attacking instinct, Iwabuchi took a sublime touch to nutmeg Spurs’ Josie Green before executing a scorching strike from range to find the net. She was subsequently awarded Arsenal’s goal of the month for this moment of brilliance.

Throughout her career Iwabuchi has traditionally played as a number 10 striker capable of both creating and scoring goals. At club level, she has also been known to play as a wide forward as well as sitting deeper in a number 8 role. Her positional versatility was a key deciding factor for Arsenal Women's manager Jonas Eidevall when the Swede moved to sign her from Aston Villa earlier this year.

Iwabuchi is often noted for her “head up” dribbling style and naturally scans the pitch for passing lanes before playing a line splitting pass. This is how she is able to progress the ball and create viable goal scoring opportunities. Eidevall has also cited her intelligence as what has enabled her to seamlessly assimilate into this Arsenal side flush with globally renowned players. Notably, Arsenal Women boast of talents such as Vivianne Miedema, Kim Little, Tobin Heath, Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead.

“It is always easier to adapt to a new team when you are very intelligent” (Jonas Eidevall on Mana Iwabuchi's smooth adaptation to his Arsenal side).

With the depth of attacking options available at Arsenal, it is important for Iwabuchi to maintain this degree of positional versatility in order to broaden the scope of her contribution. Thus far, she has played as a wide forward and also regularly switches with Scotland and Great Britain international Kim Little in the number 8 position.

Her efforts are not confined to her assigned position as she regularly drops deep to receive the ball with her back to goal before surging forward to launch an attack. This is in slight contrast to her role for Japan where she is usually the focal point of attacking maneuvers and mainly operates in and around the penalty box.

As things stand, Arsenal sit atop the WSL in what is turning out to be a very promising season. Iwabuchi's explosive start to life at Arsenal has been embraced by fans and teammates alike who have expressed their appreciation in a series of quirky posts of appreciation on social media. Iwabuchi recently voiced her delight and motivation to play for the WSL's most successful club in a recent interview with The Guardian.

Takehiro Tomiyasu - Arsenal's key component

Arsenal men’s team are also reaping the rewards of their recent Japanese import. Tomiyasu joined the Gunners on a permanent deal worth £19 million on deadline day. Interestingly, the defender was linked with a move to Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur until negotiations collapsed. Spurs were unable to produce an offer deemed acceptable by the Japan international's former club Bologna.

At club level Tomiyasu plays as a right fullback capable of carrying the ball forward in possession. For the Samurai Blue he typically plays center back alongside Sampdoria’s Maya Yoshida. He has begun life at Arsenal filling in as right back for Hector Bellerin, who is currently on loan at Real Betis. Manager Mikel Arteta seems set to continue along these lines but Tomiyasu’s positional versatility is surely part of his appeal.

Since arriving from Serie A, the Japan international appears to have played a fundamental part in rejuvenating Arsenal’s league form. Tomiyasu has started in all four matches the Gunners have played since his arrival, helping his side to three wins and one draw including three clean sheets.

Upon joining Arsenal, the team sat bottom of the table with three losses from three matches played with a 5-0 drubbing from champions Manchester City being the latest humiliation. Seemingly in conjunction with Tomiyasu’s arrival, the north London outfit have reinvented themselves and have clawed their way back up the table. They are now in 13th place, level on points with 12th placed Aston Villa with a game in hand.

Clearly the former Bologna defender has had an immediate impact on Arsenal’s defensive structure and has played an important role in steadying the ship. His early contribution to the 2021-22 campaign has not gone unnoticed and Tomiyasu was named Arsenal player of the month for September.

Tomiyasu is perceived as offering far less attacking threat than his left-sided counterpart Kieran Tierney. His main attributes are commonly associated with his positional intuition, blindside awareness and ability to nullify opposing attackers using his pace and agility. But moving forward he also has much to offer, as he has demonstrated at both Arsenal and his former club Bologna.

In particular, he is able to carry the ball with ease before playing line-breaking passes to teammates further up the field who have found themselves in areas of space. His instinct for identifying the most progressive pass possible has been noted throughout his career and his short time at Arsenal is no exception.

In addition to his defensive responsibilities, Tomiyasu is also able to join the attack when the ball enters the final third. His ferocious attempt at goal against Norwich City in his debut match provides an enthralling insight into what he offers going forward.

So far Tomiyasu has received rave reviews from fans and pundits alike. The player himself appears to be adjusting well to life at Arsenal, exclaiming that he is “so buzzing to be here” in a recent interview with a club publication.

If there are two near perfect representations of what Japanese players have to offer, then no better is it shown here. Iwabuchi's creative flare and Tomiyasu's spatial astuteness are both common attributes regularly associated with Japanese players in both the men’s and women’s games. Make no mistake, the red half of north London is enjoying the best of both worlds this season.

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