Cazorla's ability to have a place in the talented Spanish national team speaks to his high technical prowess!

1. National team

On 17 May 2008, Cazorla was named in the squad for the 2008 Euro Championship in Austria and Switzerland by then-Spanish coach Luis Aragonés, marking his first selection for the Spanish national team. Euro 2008 was the best experience of Cazorla's career. Cazorla played an active role in the games he played as an important rotation player. In the quarter-finals, Cazorla came off the bench and scored a solid shot in the final penalty shoot-out to help Spain eliminate Italy. In the final, Cazorla's several sharp passes created no small threat. With his performances at Euro 2008, Cazorla earned a place in the Spanish national team.

In 2010, he missed the World Cup in South Africa due to injury; In the 2012 European Championship, it was with Xiaobai, Xavi, Silva, Alonso, Buzques, Cesc Fabregas, and Juan Mata to form a super luxurious Spanish midfield, and finally won the championship.

On 31 May 2014, Cazorla was named in Spain's final 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, marking his first World Cup tour. Cazorla was given the chance to play in all three of Spain's group games, but did not contribute to the goal and was eventually eliminated in the group stage.

2. Arsenal

It is enough to see that Cazorla, who is in the midfield, has provided Arsenal with considerable and tangible help at both offensive and defensive ends, otherwise the difference in winning percentage would not be so obvious. But in fact, Cazorla also underwent a metamorphosis under Arsene Wenger to become an indispensable midfield pillar for the Gunners today. Arriving in the Premier League at the beginning of 2012, Cazorla's £16.5 million worth broke Arsenal's transfer record. At that moment, Van Persie and Alexander-Song left one after another, and the Gunners were at a loss for the future. For this "cheap midfielder" who is less than 1.7 meters tall, the Emirates Stadium is full of questions.

And in that extremely difficult 2012-13 season, it was Cazorla who revitalized the entire Arsenal offensive side with "one person's strength", 12 goals and 12 assists, and the style of the Spanish magician made the entire Premier League fall in love with it. It was also from that period that "a Spanish midfielder" became the standard configuration of all strong teams in the Premier League!

However, all that changed with the arrival of Mesut Ozil, who gradually won the hearts of the fans and the trust of Arsene Wenger with his world-class performances, and Cazorla was forced to leave the middle and start leaning on the sidelines. Although the hot playing time has not decreased, the data has indeed shrunk significantly.

Judging from the data, he is not necessarily inferior compared to Kroos!

Despite dropping back, Cazorla's control of the game has deepened: he averages 81.9 passes per game in the midfield position, the third highest in the Premier League, the third most crucial passes in the league behind Payet and Mesut Ozil, and at the same time, the pass completion rate is close to 90% (89%)! It can be seen that after moving away from the intense physical combat area, Cazorla can show off his skillful passing skills more freely. What's more worth mentioning is that Cazorla is definitely the most balanced "double footballer" in the world! The duo undoubtedly has a stronger ability to get rid of it, and whenever Cazorla, who has a 75.4% pass success rate, starts to attract the defence with dribbles from his own half, the "646 combination" is bound to get more space. That's why, when Cazorla isn't on the field, the Gunners' offense always looks stumbling. Arsene Wenger agreed: "We all want Cazorla to be back on the pitch and with him we can play easier. ”