Arsenal Vs Newcastle United: At least Alex Iwobi showed something

Arsenal were calamitous in Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United. So, at least Alex Iwobi, sparingly, admittedly, showed something.

It certainly wasn’t the performance that Arsenal would have been wanting against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon. Even having earned the advantage with a stretched Alexandre Lacazette volley, the Gunners proceeded to flounder in the face of a rare away victory, gifting Newcastle two cheap goals and all three points.

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Much of the post-match coverage will undoubtedly be negative. And justifiably so. This was not the level of performance that is expected and there were certainly many things wrong with it. But there are a couple of positives to be drawn.

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One of those positives was the showing of Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian, following up from his dual-assist display against Southampton last weekend, was shifted out to the right wing to accommodate the presence of young midfielder Joe Willock alongside both Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny. He was looking to produce another display that challenged the prevailing the criticism that has highlighted the majority of his season.

While he was not quite as influential from a wide position as he was from the central position that he played last weekend, he still showed several promising signs that perhaps hint at the gradual return of his confidence, the slow up-turn in his form, and the potential that he can yet develop into a prominent and quality contributor to this team next season and beyond.

What was most noticeable was his fleet of foot. This is something that Iwobi has always possessed. With and without the ball, he has extremely sharp movement, especially in small spaces. Allied with sound technique and a good first touch, Iwobi can worm his way through a sea of defensive legs serenely, seemingly undeterred by the crowding attention that he receives.

But on Sunday, there were noticeable moments where his decision-making far clearer and wiser — he initiated the break for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the handball shout in the first half; he smartly slipped Nacho Monreal in when other passes were available late in the game. He also continued to play with the same directness and attacking intent of the Southampton match, always with his first thought an advancing one as soon as he received the ball.

Now, this was not the perfect performance by Iwobi. His end-product is still a problem, though was a little improved in this instance, and his passing can break down just when it matters most, almost as if he is acutely aware of the importance of the pass that he is about to play. But in a team of insipid individuals, at least Iwobi had a little juice to him.

Next: Arsenal Vs Newcastle United: 5 things we learned

I am quickly finding myself becoming an Iwobi defendant. It is not a position that I envisaged myself ever being in, but I believe that there is a player in there somewhere. He showed further glimpses of that player against Newcastle.