Arsenal: Time to start Alex Iwobi in Premier League

Alex Iwobi has recently hit form in an Arsenal shirt. Surely it is time to give regular starts to the Nigerian playmaker in the Premier League, right?

It’s no secret that Alex Iwobi has recently experienced a sharp resurgence in his Arsenal career. Surely this spike in form warrants giving him a start in the Premier League?

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The Nigerian playmaker hasn’t started a league match since Arsenal beat West Ham on August 25th. Since then, he’s been impactful when frequently used from the bench and looks creative and confident when he has started in cup games. It seems like common sense to start a player that has hit a purple patch of form.

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This season, Iwobi looks a different beast to what Arsenal fans have been accustomed to. He appears physically stronger and more muscular than in previous seasons, and looks like a genuinely more formidable figure when on the pitch. Iwobi himself has commented on this:

"“I’ve lost a bit of weight because of the intense training and I think it’s made me a bit sharper.”"

He has also credited Unai Emery in helping him to build his confidence and trust his own attacking ability, especially in the final third:

"“I’m more positive and more confident with the ball… The boss has basically told me that if something doesn’t work, just keep going and don’t dwell on it.”"

Given the fact that Iwobi has been a pretty regular part of the set up for the past few seasons, it’s easy to forget that he only turned 22 earlier this year. He still has five years or so of development before most players hit their peak.

With many of Arsenal’s first-team attacking players close to 30, it’s a reminder that giving opportunities to promising academy graduates such as Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe should always be an important facet of the identity of the club.

Arsene Wenger, although himself never really got the best out of Iwobi, continued to play the youngster even during long periods when he struggled for form, highlighting the old-age adage that belief in youth will often pay off in the long term.

In the Wenger-days, Iwobi was often shoehorned into a conventional wide role, which didn’t play to his strengths and often limited his effectiveness in attack. He seems to currently thrive when drifting into pockets of space a little more centrally, operating more like an inside forward who can draw in defenders and create the space for overlapping runners.

Iwobi’s positivity on the ball and combination play in compact areas could be key for Arsenal’s push for a top-four finish. And yet, there’s always room for improvement, and finishing is a part of Iwobi’s game that can definitely be developed. Although, evident through the maturity shown in recent interviews, he seems like a player who is more than willing to learn.

If he is to start more games, it will be interesting to see who Emery decides to replace in the line-up to utilise Iwobi’s attacking threat. Irrespective of this, it’s time to give him a chance in the Premier League. He deserves it.