Arsene Wenger was understandably pleased with Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Aston Villa, but he singled out the improvement of Olivier Giroud and Hector Bellerin in recent times, and was very happy with Chuba Akpom on just his second appearance for the Gunners first team.
Giroud has been outstanding since his return from injury and has conributed five goals in his last six games which has coincided with Arsenal’s overal improvement. “He’s much more focused, technically he has improved, his feet have improved, his movement has improved and he has a big presence in the game,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “It’s no coincidence that when he comes back, you feel strong.
“He got a kick during the game and I was a bit cautious with him,” added Wenger. “We could give another opportunity to Chuba Akpom and he has shown that he has quality when he comes on as well.
“Chuba looks dangerous and you can see that he will score goals.”
Hector Bellerin has also grown to stake his claim for a regular starting spot, and Wenger admitted he was surprised by the young Spaniard. “It’s great – I’m pleased for him,” Le Prof continued. “He grows from game to game, he’s more confident and he has that electric pace even in the last minute, to go past people and to get crosses in. Defensively, he has improved a lot.
“Considering his first game, at Dortmund, and what I think of him today, that’s credit to him, because he had a bit of a nightmare away from home in Dortmund.
“When you see what he has produced today, you can only say ‘well done and continue to keep your priorities right – defend well, go forward when you can,’ and he’s doing that well.”
He certainly is Arsene, and it’s great to see another youngster break into the first team from the academy. Yet more proof that ‘Arsene Knows Best’ lol!
Bellerin capped his fine performance by getting his first professional goal for the first team, and he was buzzing afterwards. “It was an amazing feeling,” he said. “It’s my first professional goal so I’m really happy. Thanks to all my team-mates, all the coaches and all the fans for the support they’ve given me. I’m really happy and really pleased for the team.
“We’ve been working on our free-flowing football for a few seasons and the team is now showing what we’re learning, what we’re practising, and it’s coming out now,” he added. “I’m really happy and I want it to continue in this dynamic because it’s really coming on.”
I have a feeling Bellerin is going to be part of the Arsenal first team for a long time to come. Akpom may have to be more patient to get his chances, but he certainly didn’t do any harm to his cause against Villa. All I can hope is that yesterday’s performance persuades him to sign a new contract and doesn’t move to smaller team to play regular football….
Bellerin and Akpm should go out on a loan for a few seasons just like Veira, Fab, Henry, Ronaldo, Messi and etc….
they lack the experience…a few season of loan will be good for them….
Giroud will make a good backup….
let sign a quality striker to lead us to the title…
most, if not all those players you named have never been on loan before…
Are drugs free in your vicinity?
Bellerin has graduated. Akpom is dangerous and makers the right runs in the box. Goals are only a matter of time for the young man.
Just say No Hafiz, just say No.
@ArseneIsYourDaddy
It’s too late for him to say no. He’s already havin flashbacks from previous use…
This guy loves attention like crazy Hafiz
I love reading ur comments cause i think they wind people up. I can imagine if arsenal wins the champs league with this team you will probably say, we need to buy more WC players so that arsenal can win the World Cup…lol
Improvement?? Monreal and Le coq
Have to say how pleased I am with my
Patriots winning the Super bowl yesterday.
Very close tho.
Been 10 years since our last victory.
9 playoffs just one victory.
Arsenal same, a decade of top 4 but no EPL or ECL.
With Chelsea Man City Man U strong I’d settle
for one EPL every 5 years. Are we any closer to winning
the EPL? I don’t know I just don’t know.
Infidel. Off with your head !! Comparing the $%%# Patriots to Arsenal is an insult to Goonery. I hope your wife runs off with a Spud.
The Patriots are like Chelsea; run with cash from Satan himself. But that was the dumbest call in football history.
But back to priorities. I am a SeaHawk fan but an Arsenal fanatic. The team is looking good. Players are maturing. The “Wenger Out” incest damaged DNA goons are finally quiet.
Life is good in Gooner land. Turn those Spuds into mashed potatoes
We’ve been here before many
times in the last ten years.
On the verge of the breakthrough
two players away from completing
the puzzle. It’s a familiar narrative.
In the summer we made impressive signings
with players and management widely predicting EPL victory.
15 games to go we sit 11 points adrift.
But one day like the Pats recent victory
Arsenal will return to the winners circle.
I remain forever hopeful but
also forever patient.
It is bad comparing Patriots to Arsenal.
But it is perfect to compare Seahawks to the Spurs = only in the sense that any good Arsenal fan should HATE them.
You jealous Bro? I am a fan of the two most beautiful teams in the world.
Those are fighting words Mohawk, comparing the Seahawks to the Spuds.
But I will forgive; cuz most likely you are caught in a winter storm and depressed.
Seahawks? Most Beautiful? What are you smoking son? They might be good, but beautiful?
They are like ManU under Fergie. They are good, but if you don’t hate them there is something very wrong with you.
@ should never tell a gooner u wish his wife runs off with a spud- thats blasphemy!!
to the gallows!!
The Gallows thats the pub down
Holloway road in’t it ?
They got a blunt blade cos every
one comes outa there half cut 🙂
ur jokes are gluten free and high on nutrients davy.
always welcome 🙂
We have a pub called “At WorK’.
Spend Spend Spend
lets spend some money!!
Hafiz, I know it’s not my permission to judge you but seriously..
I am wondering how come you love AFC or which aspects you love so much???
Your first comments I read(more than a year ago) shocked me but then I started to see the funny side of it
However, all you care about is buying new players and spending money. You don’t give a F if some of our youth prospects are treated like shit. Apparently everything about AFC is bad so what DO you actually like about AFC?
id’like a serious answer from him to that question one day.
he would just tell u to ‘spend more’ time on your own problems.
#crackhouse of rahman
There’s no hman his comments 🙂
Like my Mum used to say
” always some folks worse off” 🙂
Akpom is so dangerous, his speed, movement and once he can control his nerves in front of goal he can easily be a 15-20 goals a season player for us.
I have wanted Akpom to get more chances for a year now. His talent is obvious – just need him to translate that into great play at the top level and that comes only with opportunities.
He is big, strong, pacey, and technically sound. He only needs to learn the intricacies of top level football. But remember it took Walcott some time to get his “football brain” I think Akpom is getting very close to top level performance capability.
Sending Akpom on loan is not the worst idea but, personally, I would like to see him stay. And I would love to see how he performs at LW (always an Arsenal need).
Akpom’s introduction to the 1st team, however, has been stunted by Wenger’s inexplicable fascination with Sanogo. Now that Sanogo is away perhaps there is some hope that Wenger can see the talent gap between Akpom and Sanogo.
So many teams in the top 8
fancy their chances right now.
EPL ECL Europa FA Cup Capital One,
ECL and Europa places for next season.
She’s all go from here on in.
The twisting and turning has started early this year.
The second NLD promises some serious cut and thrust
with a place in next seasons ECL on the line.
It’s daggers drawn. Let the battles begin.
Bellerin had a great game he definitely is improving with every game! Coyg!
he was “very impressive”. Filling the void left by Sagna and ultimately Debuchy is a hard task when you only are 19 years old.
For the first goal, Giroud played of the shoulder and broke away for a one on one. I would not have thought that was even possible last year.
cant deny olly has improved this year.
that donkey/lampost title is slowly ebbing away
his stats are better than van persie and rooney this season and his goals are also important ones (first goal of the game…)
Honestly, he did improve and started to deliver, however I’m still hoping for that striker who can make things happen out of nothing (the like of suarez, cavani, van persie, ibra, etc)
by the way look at Giroud’s goal against AVL, he did keep his head down for so many seconds before he scores (not looking at GK and the defender movements), that was not a good sign to be a great finisher …
Akpom is very talented striker and I hope Wenger gives him some playing time … Who ever we face in the FA cup let’s start with Akpom and I’m sure he won’t let’s down …
I still think we should have kept Afobe.
i still think the x-files should have kept going.
i mean what have mulder an scully done meaningful since they left….
@muffdiver
Mulder went all “Californication” on us…
@muffdiver
And Scully took”The Fall”…
ah yes californication.
was on channel 5 , wasnt bad – but definitely not the cult followed x files
never had the pleasure of ‘fallin’
seen her in alot of movies, most of which kinda sucked
@muffdiver
Never watched The Fall either. But Californication is the bomb. Dude plays a hard drinkin, dope smokin(takin) womanizing writer. Deadly…
remember seeing that first time in a complete lemon haze cloud thinkin….yo’ mulders buggin, fbi really messed him up lol
To the average fan Afobe indeed looked good. But sometimes you just have to trust that coaching staff is closer to the player, knows more than we do, and makes the best decision possible.
To be sure, coaches don’t always make the right selections. Many very good players have a story about their boyhood club giving up on them. It is not a perfect science.
@mohawk
Thing is, he looked to be “coming into his” at the moment. Somewhat similar to Le Coq. He also looks much stronger, faster and more decisive in front of goal than Akpom. Hope we had a buy back clause on him…
same feeling here.
Bellerin has the potential to be world class. Not just because of how well he goes forward, but because he can defend…genuinely.
Akpom will benefit from having Henry around.
Giroud just needs to get his head down.
Transfer deadline;
Bony – interesting
Cuadrado – Damn
Is it strange that I feel like a kid that’s opened his Christmas presents early and has nothing to open on the actual day? A quiet window for most teams but still I kept checking for news 🙂 realistically the only positions we could have strngthened were a striker and dm player but with akpom and coquelin waiting to sign new contracts any move for players that share their positions could have proved dangerous. We good until the summer, coyg!
Our priorities now: get regular english lessons in place for gabriel, get bielek in the gym on the walcott/ozil regime, keep our players fit, get akpom and coquelin to sign extensions.
Akpom has a 3 year offer on the table; but his agent probably has an expensive mistress that needs upkeep.
Le Coq just has to sign on the dotted line.
Watching the Chelsea transfer news takes some effort to keep up. They are not a team so much as a merry-go-round of high talent = the world just watches to see who gets on and who is shoved off upon each rotation.
We all want to win, and every club wants to improve, but I would rather support a great club like Arsenal = at least you know who the players are from week to week. That is important to fans also.
Just last year Mourinwhore was bragging about HIS brilliant selection of Schurle and how he would become a Chelsea legend. Now he is allegedly being cast off like a dirty rag.
Frankly it is ridiculous. I could never support a team like that no matter how much they win or not. And then to have a snake like Mourinho as the leader? No Thank You. Never.
@mohawk
Don’t forget DeBruyne and Salah who were there only a few months before being jettisoned…
Yes, and there are many more – so many it is hard to keep track of them all.
The player who has delivered to me the utmost and real joy when least accepted is none other then that player called Olivier Giroud. The goals scored by him have come at those times when I never ever expected him to score and by proving me wrong, Giroud has brought to me the greatest JOY and HAPPINESS ever!
I can see Barcelona sniffing around Bellerin with keen interest 😛