Analysis of Barcelona's Jose Arnaiz during Copa del Rey draw with Celta Vigo

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  • Jose Arnaiz opened the scoring in the 15th minute.

    Barcelona travelled to Celta Vigo for the first leg of their last 16 Copa del Rey clash on Thursday night, with our player in focus, Jose Arnaiz, scoring in a 1-1 draw.

    The 22-year-old was given the chance to shine by boss Ernesto Valverde again, following his goal in each leg of the previous round against Real Murcia.

    And he didn’t disappoint.

    Arnaiz took just under 15 minutes to break the deadlock at Balaidos, showing off his predatory instincts inside the penalty area.

    It means the Barcelona No.37 has now scored in each of his three first-team appearances for the Catalan giants to date this season, after banging in goals aplenty in the Spanish La Liga 2.

    Here, we analyse his performance during 71 minutes of action on Thursday evening.

    THE MATCH ITSELF AND ARNAIZ’S POSITIONAL PLAY

    The La Liga giants rested a host of stars for the trip to Vigo, but the first XI still possessed plenty of quality as well as the substitutes’ bench – featuring the returning Ousmane Dembele.

    For Arnaiz, who signed for Barcelona from Valladolid in August, he had the chance to lead the line with support from Andre Gomes on the left and Nelson Semedo on the right.

    Barca of course left the likes of legend Lionel MessiLuis Suarez and Gerard Deulofeu at home.

    It was working for the visitors as Arnaiz grabbed the early opener but Pione Sisto cancelled out that strike in the 31st minute – and it ended all-square.

    Incidentally, the world’s second most-expensive player, Dembele, came on as a second-half sub for Arnaiz to play competitive football for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury back in September.

    HIS GOAL

    The young talent was a fox-in-the-box, holding his position just outside the penalty box before moving inside as Denis Suarez’s lovely run and pass found Gomes, who squared the ball across the penalty area for the winger-cum-striker to slot home with his left peg.

    It was clear evidence that he has an eye for goal and is composed under pressure when presented with the chance to finish.

    VIGO, SPAIN - JANUARY 04: Andreu Fontas of RC Celta de Vigo competes for the ball with Jose Arnaiz of FC Barcelona during the Copa del Rey round of 16 first leg match between RC Celta de Vigo and FC Barcelona at Municipal Balaidos on January 4, 2018 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

    Playing as the lone forward, Arnauz put himself about.

    EFFECTIVENESS

    Aside from his goal, Arnauz held his position as the central frontman – occupying two centre-backs – but wasn’t afraid to drop deep from time to time to collect the ball or indeed hassle and harrie the opposition.

    In the second-half, Lucas Digne’s pin-point cross to the back stick found the head of Arnauz, and despite doing well to get a good connection on the ball, the angle worked against him.

    With more game-time in the first-team, he should start to improve his link-up play and awareness of bringing other runners into play with greater regularity.

    Likewise, his first touch and fleet-of-foot when dribbling with the ball looked a bit similar to a certain Barcelona No.10, but his final pass needs working on. Fitness-wise, he looked to be suffering from a touch of cramp before being replaced late on but that is only natural for someone who hasn’t played that many games of late.

    VERDICT

    If Arnauz’s rise continues, the diminutive Spaniard could press the likes of Deulofeu, and dare I say it, Dembele, for a first-team spot especially for the rest of the La Liga season.

    Make no mistake that the Barcelona starlet’s skill level is still raw but the Catalonian club have more than enough there to work with. Certainly, expect to see Arnauz feature more regularly in the coming months.

    Barcelona's Spanish forward Jose Arnaiz celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) football match RC Celta de Vigo vs FC Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo on January 4, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images)

    Hot shot in the box: Arnaiz.

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