WHO AND WHO IN ARSENAL SQUAD NEEDS IMPROVEMENT AHEAD OF THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW.
The Arsenal side in the title race (dreams) have been hurt a couple of times this season. Games against Liverpool, Everton, Southampton and Manchester City have not gone as planned and this has to do with the fact that some Arsenal wards within the squad are not performing. This is Arsenal Football Club for Christ-s sake and players must perform to a high standard at least similar to that set by the Invincible squad. With the transfer window approaching and rumours of Dimitri Payet and others flying in here and there we set out time to take a look at Players who needs improvement among the Arsenal mix.
Here are these five Arsenal players who must up their game in the course of the season.
NACHO MONREAL
The Spanish talent have been part of the Gunners low points in the season. The full back has found it difficult to compete physically with or without the ball. It was Nacho Monreal along with Chambers that Sadio Mane sprinted pass to run round the Arsenal defence thus beating Cech with a brilliant strike in goal. It was poor defending really on the part of the Spaniard. Monreal played a part as Arsenal lost a clean sheet against AFC Bournemouth with a penalty in Arsenal’s 3-1 home win which Calum Wilson converted from twelve (12) yards to cause a scare in the game at 1-1. Monreal had a role to play as Arsenal went 2-1 down from Raheem Sterling finish in the second half of the Manchester City game. The Spaniard should have done better on that occasion to keep Arsenal firmly in the game at the Etihad.
ROB HOLDING
The youthful center half has been in and out of the team this season delivering just satisfactory performances in games. His pairing with Calum Chambers against Liverpool says it all with a massive 3-4 loss to Liverpool. This provoked serious opinions at the club as Wenger went in search of a new defender to buy the German Shkodran Mustafi who had been pairing with Arsenal’s skipper Laurent Koscielny before his injury against Stoke City. Rob Holding was on show again alongside Koscielny in the Basel game and failed to defend well as Seydou Doumbia got the better of him with a consolation goal. Arsenal’s major undoing is the defence and Rob (Holding) is a major player who needs improvement at a time like this.
GABRIEL PAULISTA
The Brazilian has played cas over for the duo of Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin in particular at night back for some weeks. The center back had not had the best spell in defence this season as he struggled to assert himself in the Everton and Manchester City 2-1 defeats. There is need for the Brazilian to improve on his game especially now that Arsenal needs all the points they can get. Improvement is inevitable for Gabriel who must do so to stand a chance in Brazil competitive (defensive) positions in central defence with the likes of Miranda, David Luiz and Marquinhos in contention.
ALEX IWOBI
Alex Iwobi has been underperforming at some points this season. His performance against Chelsea when he won the man-of-the-match (MOTM) award was his best this season setting up play for Walcott‘s opener in the game. With 2 goals in a few days for Alex Iwobi against FC Basel (1-4) win and Stoke City (3-1) win many thought that the young lad will have built confidence from those encouraging performances. In the City game he was a major undoing to Arsenal’s chances of winning the game and it was cool as he made way for Chamberlain in the game. The Nigerian has his work cut out for improvement as Arsenal seek certain personnel reinforcements.
MOHAMED ELNENY
The Egyptian who joined Arsenal from Swiss giant FC Basel earlier in the year (January transfer window) is one talent in the sranks that needs revival as regards to his season at the club. Elneny had not really replicated his promising stuff he showed in his first six months at the Emirates. The midfield player last season adapted readily and turned out some brilliant performances especially against Barcelona with his brilliant goal to spark up a possible comeback in the game. This cannot be said of the Egyptian at the moment though injuries have at some point cost him his place in the Arsenal team behind inform Granit Xhaka who seemed to have taken charge of Arsenal’s midfield in the absence of injured Spanish midfield player Santi Cazorla…
Obiweluozo Martins