Arsenal: Alex Iwobi couldn’t have picked a worse time to party

Arsenal prodigy Alex Iwobi was spotted partying in the wee hours of the morning before the FA Cup debacle. There is no conceivable time this could have been worse.

Normally, I don’t read too much into what Arsenal players do off the pitch. When Jack Wilshere had his spats with his neighbor, or the run-in with the Spurs-supporting cab driver, I didn’t care. When Wojciech Szczesny was caught smoking, I really didn’t care.

What players do, outside of the game, doesn’t matter on one condition – it doesn’t affect their play.

Alex Iwobi has been abysmal lately. Regression is the best word to describe it. Arsene Wenger has been intent on keeping up the opportunities, but no matter how many times he is sent out there, he doesn’t get any better. If anything, he gets worse.

Related Story: Predicted XI Against Chelsea

His final ball is the worst since Danny Welbeck. His dribbling is slow and deliberate, though it’s also the one part of his game that shows promise every so often.

His finishing is terrible, as he can’t seem to work the goalie. Worst of all, his confidence is visibly seeping out of him like a freshly-popped pimple. He is sulking, dragging his feet and clearly dreading every missed opportunity.

Iwobi needs help and, against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup 3rd round, he was again one of the worst offenders.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 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
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

And then it came out that Iwobi had been spotted partying until 3:30 AM the night before the match. Arsene Wenger responded by saying there could be a fine because of the 48 hour, no-party rule, but was also adamant that Iwobi didn’t do any sort of drugs or drinking.

Like I said, normally, I don’t give half a hoot what a player does or doesn’t do with his time. He’s a human being and he is more than welcome to live his life outside of the pitch.

But, assuming this is all real, could Iwobi have picked a worse time to do this? Seriously? He’s in the worst form of his professional life, he is infuriating fans with his inability to contribute much of anything to a perfectly capable attack and here he is, the night (er, morning) before another start in a competition we all have a lot of confidence in, and he’s doing this.

Next: 3 Gunners Who Let Themselves Down Against Nottingham Forest

I’m not going to go to the extreme and say that it depicts any sort of lack of seriousness towards his footballing responsibilities because we don’t know the extent of it yet, but it just doesn’t look good. Szczesny disappeared for less.