The connoisseur of football as they say are those with enormous talent and skills in the attacking third. Those who know the subtle art of when to shoot and when to dribble, turn out to be attacking prodigies. It is consistency that gains you laurels more than your talent and when both are combined, none can stop you. Arsenal did find talent in youngster Alex Iwobi but the Nigerian failed the test of consistency and the art of attacking third since his integration into their first team.
Playing on the flanks, Alex Iwobi was preferred by Unai Emery by and large because of the absence of an ideal candidate in right wing with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slotting in on the left. Although Emery had Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitariyan and Aaron Ramsey to play with, all the three were kept out owing to personal constraints.
Lets be honest – Mesut Ozil did never fit in Emery’s XI, due to his lack of effervescence right in the middle of the park; Henrikh Mkhitariyan out owing his injury and Aaron Ramsey eyeing his way out of the club. The absence of creativity in the midfield made the helpless manager sign Denis Suarez on loan. And with Mkhitariyan returning from injury will cause selection head ache in attacking front.
Unai Emery has surely bought Denis Suarez to play on the mat and not warm the bench which means Suarez is a prime candidate of playing in the midfield along with Henrikh Mkhitariyan in his preferred right side. And if Suarez plays on the left mid-field it will be Iwobi to rest. Alex Iwobi is only likely to play when Suarez is deployed in the centre with Mkhitariyan on right and Iwobi to play on left (although heavily unlikely).
“We need wingers. Denis Suarez, who I know, has this quality,” Emery said after the game against Cardiff City making it evident that the Spanish midfielder will be preferred over Iwobi.
Unai Emery in his recent interview after the game against Huddersfield also suggested that Iwobi has a scope of improvement, especially in attacking third.
Emery said, “Iwobi is young. He has a big commitment. He has a very good physical condition.”
“He needs to improve, tactically maybe also, some things.”
“Above all he needs to be calm with the ball in the attacking third to have more assists and create more possibilities to score, to know when to shoot and when to dribble.”
The Nigerian Messi had a breakthrough game against Huddersfield, scoring the opening goal for the team and if he wants to retain his spot amidst tough competition from Denis Suarez, Iwobi will have to showcase his talent against big names.
Emery swam against the tide to bring in Denis Suarez from Barcelona, making it clear that the Spaniard was going to be his preferred playmaker. And to transcend Emery’s tactics, Iwobi will have to be as consistent one can be.
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