Across the first two games of the season, midfielder Arda Güler has looked like a top-three Real Madrid player.
No one has created more chances than the Turkish international, and he also has an assist to his name. He has been fantastic in the new role Jose Mourinho has found for him, and it remains to be seen whether he keeps playing there, or if Mourinho decides to put Yan Diomande in the line-up.
Against Real Sociedad, Güler had five key passes to his name. The number was seven against Espanyol, which makes it six key passes per game so far. Those numbers are, frankly, ridiculous, and he fully deserves to be in the starting XI, no matter who has to come off for him to stay in.
However, his passing is not his biggest asset. It is very close, but there is another thing that Güler’s got which is too impressive to ignore, and it is his will to take every game he plays by the scruff of its neck.
Arda Güler shines when others get nervous, which speaks a lot about his mentality
For a few years, Real Madrid have struggled to find personalities who want to have the ball in difficult moments. Particularly deep in the midfield, there have been many instances where Fede Valverde or Aurelien Tchouameni have not been the most keen to keep the ball. With Güler, it seems like that is not an issue.
In fact, it’s the opposite. Every time Real Madrid are behind by a goal or two, or even drawing, Güler’s mentality is simply to be involved and do more for the team. He performs even better and is more focused when Real Madrid are struggling, and is not afraid to have the ball, take risks and make things happen.
That, my friends, is what old-heads refer to as a winner’s mentality. Güler showed that to an extent against Real Sociedad, too. In the first half, he felt a bit quiet, even though he had plenty of the ball.
When the team came out of the tunnel for the second period, though, Güler looked much sharper and was demanding the ball more often. There were so many instances where he created something out of nothing, and despite him not getting any assists to show for his performance, everyone at the Bernabeu knew what they were watching.
This is not the first time this has happened – and it won’t be the last. Güler’s mentality will take him a long way, because he seems to never be nervous about the game going down. His left foot is a magic wand, but his IQ and mentality are what make things happen.
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