Arsenal forward Chuba Akpom who is currently with Hull City on a season-long loan deal is hoping that he can grab his opportunity to show his ability. The teenager feels that coming on loan to Hull has given him chances to impress Arsene Wenger and build towards becoming a first-team regular at the Emirates. Today he is aiming to score his third goal in three games for the Tigers in the big away game at Wolves, but he will have to get past the Gunners third-choice keeper Emi Martinez, who featured in the midweek League Cup win. Isaac Hayden is also expected to start for Hull.
Loan deals are often used to further the education of players who otherwise struggle to get chances at the club. It would generally be with a Championship club and is a win-win scenario. Akpom moved to Hull early this season after realizing that he still has some way to go before becoming a regular.
“I want to work as hard as I can and contribute to the team.” Akpom said. “This is my first full season on loan and that is important because it takes times to settle”
Akpom had a terrific start to his life at Hull as he marked his debut with a goal against Huddersfield Town. In the league cup first round against Accrington Stanley, Akpom came as a substitute and scored another goal.
Akpom already had brief loan spells in the past at Brentford, Coventry City and Nottingham Forest. His spell at Hull comes at a time when they are looking to bounce straight back into the Premier League. The teenage forward is happy that his loan spell gives him the platform to present his case and push his credentials to Wenger. It is very important that he can play more and score well to make the grade at the Emirates.
”I’ve trained with the first team and played games so I’ve had a taster. The main target is to play for the Arsenal first team”
There is always a vacancy for a striker in the Arsenal first team. Olivier Giroud may have been the long standing player in that role but it is public knowledge that Wenger is looking at options to strengthen. If Akpom can prove his credentials, it could help him move to the top of Wenger’s list.
Another interesting factor of todays game, which kicks of at noon on SkySports 5, is that Benik Afobe will be leading the line for Wolves after Wenger sold him off cheaply in January,and then went on to become the highest-scoring player in the country last season. Afobe also scored in the opening game of the season so will be keen to continue his excellent record. This could be a really interesting game for Arsenal fans…