Why Joel Campbell Was Arsenal's Most Surprising Player in 2015/16 Season

Back in August 2015, there were strong rumours that Joel Campbell might be on the verge of leaving Arsenal. According to Eren Sarigul of Turkish Football (h/t The Metro), Galatasaray were one of the clubs trying to prise him away from north London. As it was, he stayed at the club. And his subsequent impact on the 2015/16 campaign was one of the positive surprises of the season. 

By this stage, Campbell already had four different loan spells away from the club. There was a nagging feeling that if Arsene Wenger really had faith in him, he would not have sent him away to Villarreal for the second half of the 2014/15 season. 

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Wenger has since said to James Riach of The Guardian that Campbell’s determined mentality convinced him to keep the Costa Rican at the club:

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“I flat-refused to let him go because I saw something in him that gives you belief, because of his attitude. It is true he had players in front of him and you think: ‘Can you block a player like that?’ But he was four times out on loan.”

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That may well have been a key factor. However, the news that Danny Welbeck’s knee problem was far worse than initially thought must also have been an influence on the manager’s decision. Campbell had to be kept on as cover.

He was not expected to play much football, but Arsenal’s annual injury crisis opened the door. With Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ruled out by injury, Campbell was afforded a chance on the flank. The manner in which he seized that opportunity was nothing short of sensational. 

Arguably the turning point for Campbell came in Arsenal’s crunch Champions League tie against Olympiakos. The Gunners needed to win by a three-goal margin to ensure qualification, and Campbell was selected to start. He capped a terrific all-round display with an inspired assist for Olivier Giroud, and afterwards Wenger told The Guardian:

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I thought always the attitude was there. But after Olympiakos, in a game where we were like that, knife on the throat, he turned up with something special. Great team work and a pass for [Olivier] Giroud on a second goal that was massive for us. Then I thought ‘he can play under pressure as well, what is important for us.’

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Campbell’s performance in Greece was no anomaly. He produced a number of startlingly good displays over the winter months, including a brilliant showing in the 3-3 draw at Anfield.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

He combined attacking ingenuity with an incredible work rate. It was that dogged spirit that was perhaps most surprising—Campbell had been characterised as a flair player, but few expected quite so much grit to go along with his guile. Wenger confessed to The Guardian that his selflessness had been somewhat unexpected: 

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You want to be surprised by the quality of your players and where he surprises you is in the intensity of this teamwork. When you look at the player and the number of goals he scores and the number of assists, on that front you must say he has been very positive and he works hard for the team.

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Given Campbell’s confounding rise to prominence, it was something of a surprise that he didn’t play more regularly in the latter part of the season. After Campbell formed part of the team that lost 2-1 to Watford in the FA Cup quarter-final on March 13, he did not start another game in the 2015/16 season.

Campbell overachieved this season, but it was not enough to make him a regular at Arsenal. That could well lead to him being linked with a move away again this summer. His performances throughout 2015/16 suggest he deserves the opportunity to play more frequently—be that at Arsenal or elsewhere.

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.