The unexpected rise of Tolgay Arslan

By Ross Dunbar

It could have panned out very differently for Tolgay Arslan. On September 22nd, 2012, he could have been kitted in the ‘schwarz-gelb’, the black and yellow of Borussia Dortmund, to take on Hamburg SV. Instead, he played a vital role in the downfall of his former club, which he left three years ago, producing a domineering performance to leave ‘die Borussen’ licking their wounds.

The match resulted 3-2 for Hamburg and more importantly, they terminated their opponent’s 31-game Bundesliga unbeaten streak. Although the performances of Van der Vaart and two-goal hero Son Heung-Mi attracted most attention, Arslan’s display certainly pleased coach Thorsten Frink, who could not hide his delight at the adaptability in the young midfielder, which he highlighted: “Tolgay [Arslan] showed that he also can work so well on the defensive side and that has really surprised me.”

Arslan’s developing into a fine well-round midfielder, and his defensive game has complemented his dynamic offensive play very well. In the match against Dortmund, his presence was well noted: running 11.6km, executing 15 successful tackles and completing 83% of his passes. A set of strong stats from the prospering player and things can only get better for him, which was not expected. But so is Hamburg’s start to the season.

The club endured a busy summer where they re-signed the visionary Rafael Van der Vaart, also acquiring the talented Milan Badelj and hard-working Petr Jiracek. Following a disappointing start, Hamburg has made a rapid turnaround, thus their heavy investment has started producing results. They’ve won three of their last four encounters, against largely difficult oppositions, including wins over Borussia Dortmund and Hannover 96 and a draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Arslan played in all of their recent victories, standing out in a holding-midfield role alongside the industrious Badelj.

Born and brought up in the city of Paderborn with Turkish parents, Tolgay Arslan could arguably have asked for a more inspiring up-bringing as a Galatasaray supporter. The aspiring footballer was engrossed by the continental and domestic success of Mircea Lucescu’s side in the late 1990s, built around the terrific Romanian playmaker Gheorghe Hagi, a world-class star that Arslan idolised and modelled his game during his younger days. Despite being born in Germany, the 22-year-old midfielder has represented Turkey at both U19 and U21 level; the call-up to the senior squad awaits him.

It wasn’t an easy path for Arslan, who had his development blighted by injury in recent months and once been on the fringe of the Hamburg squad that has looked revitalised in recent weeks. Naturally, Hamburg’s summer signings squashed any ambitions of becoming a first-team regular in the ‘Zehner’ role in Fink’s 4-2-3-1 formation, where he had a brief stint in the starting eleven last season. On his direct competitor for the #10 role, he modestly said: “Rafa is a godsend for us. He takes responsibility. He has the timing when to dribble and when it is fit. We are on a high, including me. I want to learn from him." 

Arslan, though, has not let that affect his game and has cemented a place in a tight midfield trio, with Van der Vaart and Croatian battler Badelj. He unexpectedly established a position at the heart of Fink’s midfield trio where he’s become a firm favourite, even nudging out one of the major signings, Jiracek, either to a place on the bench or to a different area of the park.

Therefore, despite being categorised as an attacking-midfielder, he’s happy to play the ‘Sechsers’ role in midfield. This was not an issue for him, as he told Adbenblatt, "I am a very flexible player. I can play at the front or at the back. I possess the defensive qualities, also, and can be really strong.”

Despite adapting to a defensive-midfield position, Arslan is the effective link between midfield to attack in Hamburg’s system. His up-bringing as an attacking player is evident, as the Turk boasts good dribbling skills and industry, covering on average 12km every match for Hamburg. The midfielder has a tidy, short passing game, hitting 84.2% pass completion from 190 in total.

The spotlight may very well be on the return of Van der Vaart and his impact has shifted the momentum in HSV’s season. To use an old-fashioned Scottish term, the likes of Arslan, Son and others have found a ‘gallus’ streak of self-confidence and courage that is making the Dinosaur a genuine contender for a European place. The Turkish midfielder may have been shifted from his natural position at HSV after the arrival of Van der Vaart, but a sign of his ability is that he is making an unfamiliar role look like one he has taken for years.

The prospect of facing FC Bayern on November the 3rd, a derby known as the Nord-Sud, the North-South, will be a match to both sides will be relishing, as well as an opportunity for Arslan to stand-out.

This article is by our Bundesliga brain Ross Dunbar, who normally writes at Bundesliga Football. You can follow him @rossdunbar93. Comments below please.