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Wenger - Cazorla is so underrated

Santi Cazorla is one of English football's most underrated players, according to Arsene Wenger.

The Spanish playmaker has impressed in his first season at Arsenal and has been directly involved in more than a third of his team's 71 league goals.

Wenger is delighted with the 28-year-old's quick adaptation and feels Cazorla's achievements should have been recognised outside the Club.

“I think he is a bit of an underrated player in the Premier League,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “When you think he was not in the [PFA] team of the season picked by the players, it's quite harsh. Personally I would have put him in there.

“When you look at his quality, that is of course outstanding, but also his attitude and workrate for the team. He's one of the players who has been absolutely outstanding this season.”

No players have combined for more Premier League goals this season than Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott, and Cazorla and Lukas Podolski. Wenger is not surprised.

“Giroud and Walcott is easier to understand because one crosses the ball and the other finishes,” he said. “Podolski and Cazorla are more short-passing and combination players so that as well is explainable by the characteristics of the two players.”