Aaron Ramsey Shows What He Can Bring to Arsenal's Midfield Against Sunderland

After spending most of the season on the wing, Aaron Ramsey took centre stage once again for Arsenal in their 3-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday. In a typically action-packed display, we caught a glimpse of how his redeployment might influence the Gunners’ style.

The onus on Ramsey at Arsenal right now is enormous. The Gunners have been shorn of their first-choice midfield, with Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla both likely to be out until March at the earliest. Not only that, but Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky are also absent. Along with Mathieu Flamini, Ramsey is one of the only recognised senior central midfielders left in the squad.

However, he’s not a direct replacement for Cazorla. The two midfielders have very different approaches to the game, and that was emphasised during the Sunderland game.

Immediately, the watching Arsenal fans were reminded that Ramsey does not share the Spaniard’s capacity for keep-ball. He’s an instinctively more adventurous player; while Cazorla is content to control possession and dictate the tempo, Ramsey is someone who is perennially looking to make things happen.

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This occasionally drew the ire of fans who were frustrated when an ambitious Ramsey pass led to the concession of possession. Arsenal have grown accustomed to relying on Cazorla’s quick feet and radar-like passing to instigate their attacking moves.

He was able to find Mesut Ozil early and regularly, and the Gunners may need to figure out a strategy that allows them to circumnavigate the middle of the park.

However, Ramsey is not as wasteful as he might appear. According to stats service Squawka, he compiled 92 percent of his passes during the game. By way of comparison, the usually meticulous Ozil managed 86 percent.

He also offers a more direct goal threat than Cazorla. The Spaniard has not scored in the Premier League this season, while Ramsey notched in his first match since being restored to the middle. The timing of his runs is excellent, and had his shooting boots been a little more attuned he may have scored more than once.

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In 2013/14, Ramsey’s goalscoring exploits from midfield made him Arsenal’s Player of the Season. When the ball broke to him on the edge of the six-yard box in stoppage time, he battered it beyond the advancing Costel Pantilimon. The odd inaccurate pass is easily forgiven if you make regular match-winning contributions.

He also created the crucial second goal of the game for Olivier Giroud, clipping an ingenious pass into the penalty area which the Frenchman was able to divert home.

Ramsey himself is in little doubt about central midfield being his best position. Per Arsenal.com he said after the game:

"It felt really good today. I feel a lot more comfortable and it suited my game a lot better, I could time my runs into the box and get on the end of things and I could have had two or three goals but at the end of the day I’m happy."

Ramsey’s impact in midfield was both immediate and impressive. On this evidence, he may not be quite as elegant or efficient as Cazorla, but he could prove to be more effective.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.