Arsenal fans have now had their say on the performance Jurrien Timber produced for the under-21s on Monday evening.
Jurrien Timber made his long-awaited return to action on Monday evening as the Arsenal under-21s side took on Blackburn Rovers under-21s in a Premier League 2 fixture.
The Dutch defender has not taken to a pitch since the opening weekend of the Premier League season, when he sustained a serious knee injury against Nottingham Forest. The £38 million summer arrival from Ajax has been sidelined ever since.
Of course, to have picked up such a serious injury so early on in his Arsenal career will have come as a major blow to the 22-year-old. Timber would have undoubtedly played a major role in Mikel Arteta’s first-team plans over the course of this season had he been fit.
Arteta is still optimistic that Timber will feature for the first-team again before the current campaign draws to a close. However, the Gunners are understandably treating his return with a great deal of caution.
How Jurrien Timber prepared for goalscoring Arsenal return
The 15-cap Netherlands international has been using this time on the treatment table wisely, too. Timber has taken advantage of this period of rehabilitation to familiarise himself with Arsenal’s tactics, in order to ensure that he slots into Arteta’s system seamlessly when the time comes.
On top of that, efforts have been made to keep the player feeling involved in the first-team picture in North London. Arteta has ensured that Timber has been present in the Arsenal dressing room and at team meetings throughout the campaign.
He will be delighted to finally have gotten back out on the pitch, and he certainly announced his return in style. Just eight minutes into this clash with Blackburn Rovers, Timber picked up the ball on the corner of the box, on the left-hand side of the pitch, cut inside his marker and fired an inch-perfect shot into the top corner.
Having understandably tired as the first-half wore on, Timber was replaced at the break. These were invaluable minutes for the full-back though, and his goal will have given him a huge confidence boost.
Arsenal fans in awe of Jurrien Timber
Arsenal fans were wowed by Timber’s spectacular return and quickly took to X to share their thoughts on his performance.
One fan claimed, “We woulda won the league already & been in the final 4 ucl if he was healthy this year.” Another said, “I might be getting carried away but I’ll say it. Timber will be the best fullback in the premier league after Trent.”
One supporter stated, “Timber is basically a better version of zinchenko good on the ball but also solid defensively.”
Another observed, “His technical ability is out of this world.”