Dani Ceballos completes the convincing impression of Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal needed Aaron Ramsey to save them against Sheffield United and they took him. Solo came in the form of Dani Ceballos.

Arsenal’s game against Sheffield United was certainly a stressful affair. Despite the initial advantage, it was Sheffield who continued to threaten in the penalty area, winning the header after the header and having several goals excluded because of the offside.

In the end, he finally came back to bite the Gunners with a goal in the 87th minute. The momentum had completely shifted and the 1-1 score line looked like Arsenal would have crumbled late. At that point they weren’t accumulating a lot of attack skills and it would take a seriously inspired effort to change it.

We have already seen those efforts in the FA Cup. Against Hull City, for example. Or against Chelsea. But they both had one thing in common: Aaron Ramsey. The Welsh wizard would slide where you least expect it and provide the target.

The problem is, we don’t have Ramsey anymore. Instead, Dani Ceballos provided that Ramsey spark that we needed.

When the ball fell on Nicolas Pepe, you could have sworn he would have been the hero, but his chance passed, the ball went on harmlessly, and out of nowhere, Dani Ceballos shot from the depths and pushed the ball from a narrow corner. It was done perfectly. He read the comedy magnificently, saw his opportunity and took it.

Ceballos only touched the ball 16 times. He had remained practically silent until now. But when the opportunity arose, he jumped on and capitalized.

This is exactly what Ceballos was here to do in the first place. He was Ramsey’s replacement, although it would only be temporary. Throughout the year it has been terribly inconsistent, with me still scolding myself at Burnley for his latest convincing performance. This was far behind in the beginning of the season.

This wasn’t that performance, of course, but it was exactly what it was supposed to be. From nothing, something. This is what Ramsey was known for. Even in the worst case, he was still capable of anything and Ceballos, who has been at his worst moment lately, has proven himself capable of anything.

Of course, this could be the spark that lifts its performances before the end of the year, but regardless, let’s appreciate it for what it was: a saving grace to push the Gunners into the semifinal.