Arsenal handed Willian a three-year deal this summer as Mikel Arteta desperately needed to get some quality experienced players through the door at the Emirates.
The Brazilian had spent seven years at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea where he won the Premier League among other trophies.
Being 32 already, the Blues decided against handing him a three-year deal, and he joined Arsenal after the Gunners agreed to that demand.
He is expected to use his experience to help Arteta’s team become a top side in England again.
He made a fantastic start to his Arsenal career by providing three assists in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Fulham in the first Premier League weekend of the season.
That was probably the best way to show that the Gunners haven’t made a mistake in landing him.
However, since that game, the Brazilian has hardly made a meaningful impact in the Arsenal games.
In their latest Premier League game against Liverpool, he was largely anonymous yet again as the Reds beat Arsenal 3-1.
If Willian was a young player coming from a different league, we would have been talking about giving him time, but he has been playing in the Premier League for years, does he also need time?
He is not getting younger, if he isn’t delivering the goods now, we have probably made a mistake in giving him a contract.
An article from Ime
I believe once we switch to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, we’ll see a better Willian. With the addition of a CAM in MF , Willian can link up play more and stamp his authority on games. Football is about team work
I totally subscribe to the school of thought that believes that Willian had a poor game against liverpool! If he did his defensive duties, liverpool couldn’t have scored their first goal!
Since that game ?
It was 2 league games ago.lol
Jumped the gun a bit here haven’t you?
No one played well in the Liverpool game.
As you pointed out, he had 3 assists in his first game, 3 games ago.
Calm down.
There’s no question that Willian is a quality player but his acquisition makes little to no sense considering the potential ramifications…if we’re supposed to be a team in transition why would we sign another player on the backside of his career to such a hefty wage when we have much greater issues that need to be addressed…this is clearly a luxury buy who now has started all three games in the position that was meant to be occupied by our highest priced transfer target ever from just last year…I know we didn’t have to pay a transfer fee for Willian but we could have used the money being allocated towards his enormous wages to properly address our midfield…this reminds me a lot of the latter Wenger years and obviously not in a good way…why can’t we adopt a comprehensive plan then move forward in a logical fashion instead of all this wag the dog sh** we’ve been engaged in since our move to the Emirates…a team that’s looking to build for the future doesn’t make a move like this when they know it’s going to hinder the progression of it’s younger players…it’s obvious he was promised certain things from Arteta before signing and if that was the case we sh** the bed with the Pepe acquisition…why not let him try to play his way out of his first year funk instead of spending more money on his much older replacement, thereby deviating from the supposed plan and likewise hurting Pepe’s potential market value even more…Luiz appears to have way too much influence on this team and that is incredibly worrisome
He seems to have done what Ceballos did in his first game last season. He played so well against Barnley and that was about that.
Same with Willian, did so well against Fulham and now he seems to nonexistent.
I find it weird that he seems to have gone cold.
he have not would prefer a faster Pepe and Nelson over him
Good word “have gone cold” .. totally agree (Goonster).
Now as of how we can use him and Pepe correctly?
We should put him in the left side and Pepe on the right with Auba in front.. let’s see how this will work
Pepe should get more to the middle while Willian have a good first touch – pass – goal!
I would love to see this happening and regarding the midfield, we can play
Tierney or Saka – Xhaka – Ceballos – Bellerin
Gabriel – Luiz – Holding/Saliba
Wow..
..The mind boggles!?
I think its difficult for m to judge willian right now…. Arsenal have got a weak midfield.. which doesn’t feeds balls to the forward players…
If we don’t strengthen that area,, we still going to suffer and player like willian Auba and Pepe will be blamed… l know Us Arsenal fans
Arsenal fans insulted me for not supporting a move for Willian. If the guy was that much important, Chelsea wouldn’t let him leave easily. I’m still saying that, Willian is an average player. Arsenal will encounter the same scenario in regard to the contracts of Ozil and Willian
Bloody hell! If the team have a stinker tonight, I hate to think what it’ll be like on here tomorrow 😂😂
We’ve played 4 games in all competitions…..🙄
👍👍
Well Sue, as you know, It never rains it pours. 🙂
Lol
You’ve said it all Sue. What a fan base we have. He made 3 assists 3 games ago, suddenly after just 2 games, he’s not good enough. Lol. In a Liverpool and West ham game were virtually the entire team was poor.
It’s driving me crazy, Kstix! First Leno, then Auba, then Laca and now Willian!! Can’t we just be happy with what we have and get behind them and support them? After all, we are all gooners, or at least I thought we were!
I hope to god they don’t come on here, do their confidence a world of good, won’t it?!! They won’t want us back in the stadium at this rate!! 🤪
Never a truer word said Sue
3 league games and a cup game and we’re already doomed
I said in a recent post Sue that I was glad fans were not allowed in the stadium yet, we have more impatient fans now more than ever. It wouldn’t have taken long before the toxicity is back at arsenal at this rate if fans were allowed back in. We’ve just lost our first game against a team that’s better than us on paper and on the field. And we were unfortunate that Laca missed those chances which shows we could have even won or at least got a point. You would think Liverpool were a poor side that beat us 10-0
Agree with Sue. I can’t believe the amount of negativity in these comments.
Willian is a great free signing that brings experience and a balanced combination of attack and defense to that right flank. Pepe can’t play 90 mins every game and as evidenced from last season still has developing to do.
So quick to turn on your own players..
If only we could stop posting this kind of pointless cr*p we won’t have these sorts of “so called fans” making silly comments!
As Sue says, four games and we need to get behind the team, not slate them. They’re only human remember. NOT malfunctioning cyborgs for Christ’s sake!!
Asking Willian to press and defend the whole game is unfair. He has a lot of miles on him and could be better used as a substitute to change the game. I’d rather see Saka instead.
He had 3 assists in 3 games for pity’s sake. Another rediculous negative article from an Arsenal blog. Toxic negativity.
Great post gunneray.
So sick of nobodies writing terrible blogs spreading negativity for their own self promotion and click bait.
Terrible article. Writer should hang head in shame or bore off down 7 sisters to them lot – who also signed a similar aged winger who is constantly injured and has barely played anything other than golf in 2 years yet they’re all getting behind it.