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Goal.com 50: Samir Nasri (38)
Our definitive countdown of the best players of 2010-11 continues with the Arsenal attacker, who enjoyed a stellar campaign with the Gunners.
Jul 31, 2011 6:00:00 AM
By Stephen Crawford
Getty
Welcome to the Goal.com 50! In this special series, Goal.com editors worldwide vote for the top 50 players of 2010-11. We count down to the announcement of the winner on August 21 with profiles of each and every player who made it into the top 50.
Ahead of the 2010-11 campaign, Samir Nasri admitted to himself and his fans that he had to improve his game. Suffering a broken leg in the previous term, the midfielder's contribution to Arsenal was of a lesser value than he would have hoped, but he aimed to put it all behind with a new pursuit of the title on the horizon.
But things didn't start so well for the Frenchman. Snubbed for Les Bleus' now infamous 2010 World Cup campaign before suffering a knee injury in the Emirates outfit's first Premier League match of the season, it was left up to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to provide the young attacker with inspiration.
Challenged by the gaffer to use his unfortunate scenario as an opportunity to prove his grit, the attacker set about showing football followers the world over why Wenger had paid so much to import him from France in the first place.
Eager to get back in the fray, Nasri made his return after just three games on the sidelines – and seemingly returned at the perfect time. The Frenchman made the starting lineup as he and his team welcomed Champions League opponent Braga to the Emirates, a team that the Gunners went on to beat 6-0 in an impressive rout. With morale high again in the Arsenal camp, the former Marseille man stuck to his plan.
As the season began to creep into the winter months, the midfielder's hunger for success saw him go on an impressive hot streak. First opening his October account against Birmingham, a well-taken penalty was the catalyst for a comeback win after the 24-year-old converted. More goals then inspired wins against Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City, Nasri also picking up an assist during his glittering performances in each of the games.
Seemingly never stopping to take a breath, the Frenchman's on-field exploits bagged him the PFA Fans' Player of the Month three months in a row, to which he then added the French Player of the Year award in December, completing an impressive haul of accolades.
Picking up an injury just after the turn of the year, it appeared as though the coming-of-age orchestrator was taking his foot off the gas, but a return to action saw him provide a game-winning assist for Andrei Arshavin that led to the defeating of European champion Barcelona – no easy feat.
With club captain Cesc Fabregas in and out of the side due to hamstring problems, Nasri was looked to again and again over the course of the year to provide Arsenal with the inspiration it needed to continue competing on all fronts until late in the term. The midfielder's exemplary displays were such that he would go on to feature in the PFA's Team of the Year, adding yet another honor to his bulky list for the campaign.
And so we return to present day. Finding himself in the last year of his Arsenal contract, the 24-year-old must now make the choice to remain loyal to the club that he so eagerly joined three years ago, or further his career elsewhere. Whether he stays or goes will be revealed in time, but there is one certainty amidst the speculation: whoever Samir Nasri represents in the 2011-12 season will boast one of the finest attacking midfielders in the world.
Ahead of the 2010-11 campaign, Samir Nasri admitted to himself and his fans that he had to improve his game. Suffering a broken leg in the previous term, the midfielder's contribution to Arsenal was of a lesser value than he would have hoped, but he aimed to put it all behind with a new pursuit of the title on the horizon.
But things didn't start so well for the Frenchman. Snubbed for Les Bleus' now infamous 2010 World Cup campaign before suffering a knee injury in the Emirates outfit's first Premier League match of the season, it was left up to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to provide the young attacker with inspiration.
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"I truly think that Samir has a big career ahead of him. For me, he represents the future of the France team, our greatest hope for the future." - Zinedine Zidane
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Challenged by the gaffer to use his unfortunate scenario as an opportunity to prove his grit, the attacker set about showing football followers the world over why Wenger had paid so much to import him from France in the first place.
| MOMENT OF THE SEASON |
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| WINNING THE 2010 FRENCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
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| Nasri winning the award only served to highlight France's disastrous World Cup campaign after Raymond Domenech failed to select the young midfielder for the tournament. |
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As the season began to creep into the winter months, the midfielder's hunger for success saw him go on an impressive hot streak. First opening his October account against Birmingham, a well-taken penalty was the catalyst for a comeback win after the 24-year-old converted. More goals then inspired wins against Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City, Nasri also picking up an assist during his glittering performances in each of the games.
Seemingly never stopping to take a breath, the Frenchman's on-field exploits bagged him the PFA Fans' Player of the Month three months in a row, to which he then added the French Player of the Year award in December, completing an impressive haul of accolades.
Picking up an injury just after the turn of the year, it appeared as though the coming-of-age orchestrator was taking his foot off the gas, but a return to action saw him provide a game-winning assist for Andrei Arshavin that led to the defeating of European champion Barcelona – no easy feat.
With club captain Cesc Fabregas in and out of the side due to hamstring problems, Nasri was looked to again and again over the course of the year to provide Arsenal with the inspiration it needed to continue competing on all fronts until late in the term. The midfielder's exemplary displays were such that he would go on to feature in the PFA's Team of the Year, adding yet another honor to his bulky list for the campaign.
| "Seemingly never stopping to take a breath, the Frenchman's on-field exploits bagged him the PFA Fans' Player of the Month three months in a row." |
And so we return to present day. Finding himself in the last year of his Arsenal contract, the 24-year-old must now make the choice to remain loyal to the club that he so eagerly joined three years ago, or further his career elsewhere. Whether he stays or goes will be revealed in time, but there is one certainty amidst the speculation: whoever Samir Nasri represents in the 2011-12 season will boast one of the finest attacking midfielders in the world.
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