3. Song Has Grit
It might be something of a cliche to talk of Arsenal in terms of their style of play, and how Arsene Wenger likes to play attractive football to the cost of results occasionally - but it wouldn't be wholly wrong, by any means. Wenger likes his side to pass and to sweep forward with all of his players able to actually play football, comfortable with the ball at their feet regardless of where they play. Unfortunately that has meant in the past that tougher, more physically-focussed teams like Stoke City have taken advantage and ground out results by stopping Arsenal from playing their game and stamping their presence on the pitch. Wenger has needed an imposing physical sort of player to build his midfield around for some time, and Song actually ticks the required boxes - he is passionate (sometimes to a fault), strong and can put in a strong challenge. And if he were to bring a little more discipline into his game, he could well become a lot better as a defensive midfielder - offering Wenger something that the majority of the most successful teams in Europe have, a foundation stone in the middle of the park to protect the defence.