%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal: Alex Iwobi Already Making One Giant Leap
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal needed some pretty important adjustments out of Alex Iwobi, and the youngster may already have a pretty firm grasp on those changes.
Arsenal gave Alex Iwobi the keys to a first team position when he was 19 years old. He bypassed everyone else that had a claim to the role and made the most of his chance, establishing a new, direct approach that seemed all-too novel for the position.
Related: 10 Things We Learned About Arsenal In 2016
But that novelty faded as his frustrations grew and he ended up giving away his starting position at the start of the new season. It just appeared as though he wasn’t as ready as we initially thought.
While he did gain his spot back, he inevitably lost it again and was benched following a string of blindingly frustrating outings where he just looked more and more lost the closer he got to the goal.
And Wenger pointed out, he wanted to see Iwobi have more confidence in his abilities to score goals. He had to shoot more, essentially. He had to be more selfish.
Well, I think we saw a big step for Iwobi against Swansea City. While at times he was still hesitating to be selfish, he fired off four shots, tied for most on the team. And while, statistically, none of them were on target, two of them took beneficial deflections and ended up in the back of the net for own goals.
More from Pain in the Arsenal
- 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
- 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
- 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
- Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
- 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
It’s no surprise that the overall performance of Iwobi benefited from this new, confident approach. He created two chances in addition to his shots, won two aerial duels, and actually showcased the strength and size that we can clearly see that he has, succumbing to just one dispossession.
Overall, it was exactly what Wenger has been saying. If Iwobi can openly display his confidence, which comes from firing shots freely, he will improve and look less like a lost puppy when he gets near the 18 yard box.
The quick turnaround shows the impact that Wenger can have on his pupils. It reminds me of the quick turnaround we saw with Francis Coquelin and his disciplinary issues. Iwobi has even more time to spare but initial returns indicate that he won’t even be needing it. A few more performances like this and he’ll have his position all ironed out for him, Theo Walcott or no.
Next: Arsenal's 30 Greatest Players Ever
Beyond that, the throne of Mesut Ozil seems like an increasingly realistic goal.