Lucas Torreira has been at Arsenal just a matter of months but the tough-tackling midfielder already looks like the kind of player the club has been missing for years.
The Uruguay international will make only his seventh Premier League start when Wolves visit the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, yet his importance to Unai Emery's rapidly improving team is clear.
Operating in central midfield, Torreira has offered a combative presence, providing his back four with protection while his use of the ball has been similarly impressive. Other players in Emery's line-up may have provided more spectacular moments during the Gunners' 15-game unbeaten run.
However, it is the contribution of Torreira and Granit Xhaka, transformed from the inconsistent player of recent seasons, that have given reason to believe this Arsenal side has the steel to sustain their early charge.
The pair have instilled a balance in the team that was lacking for long periods during the final years of Arsene Wenger's reign.
Having built his early success in north London around a midfield led by Patrick Vieira, Wenger's failure to resolve the apparent frailties of his later sides was at times baffling.
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Gilberto Silva provided admirable service but since the Brazil international left for Panathinaikos 10 years ago, few players have shown themselves capable of filling what often appeared to be an obvious gap.
The arrival of Torreira in a USD 35 million deal from Sampdoria this summer, however, appears to have ended the wait.
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