Alex Iwobi hasn’t progressed to the levels expected since making his Premier League debut in late 2015, but he’s hardly the only Arsenal youngster whose development has plateaued during that time.
In fact, that became one of the most contradictory frustrations amid the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s reign; for a manager who built his reputation on improving young, promising players, very few reached their full potential during the Frenchman’s ultimate few campaigns in north London.
The question now is whether Unai Emery, the man tasked with succeeding Wenger, can get something more significant out of the young midfielder than simply a cameo role in the first team squad and whether he can generate the consistency needed to make Iwobi the shining star of the starting XI that was envisaged three years ago.
But an impressive performance against England on Saturday, albeit in a warmup friendly that was more about World Cup preparations than playing for futures at club level, showed what Iwobi has to offer Arsenal’s new era both in terms of ability and mentality.
Following an incredibly underwhelming second half from the Super Eagles, it was Iwobi who took the game to the Three Lions in the second – opening Nigeria’s account for the afternoon by tucking away a rebound from an Odion Ighalo shot which flew off the post with a tidy and tricky finish.
Iwobi’s contributions didn’t stop there either; he created the most chances and took the most efforts at goal of any Nigeria player, while weighing in defensively with two tackles and completing 88% of his passes.
It was a well-rounded performance from the 22-year-old that also highlighted a maturity beyond his years, to act as the Super Eagles’ talismanic driving force and key offensive outlet despite being the youngest outfield player in the starting XI.
That suggests, if given the chance to truly flourish, Iwobi can become an important player in Arsenal’s new era under Emery – and he’d certainly suit one of the wide midfield positions in the Spaniard’s customary 4-2-3-1 setup. But what kind of role would you like to see him undertake next season? Let us know by voting below…
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