Arsenal: Alex Iwobi Pushing Theo Walcott All The Way
Arsenal’s plethora of attacking midfielders come wingers are all competing for game time. The front runner, Theo Walcott, is being pushed hard by Alex Iwobi.
Thanks to quiet, understated efficiency in the transfer market, Arsene Wenger has been able to develop a rather impressive squad. While criticisms perhaps persist over the lack of elite level players, the depth in this Arsenal squad is as strong as any in the league, especially in midfield areas.
Due to the media attention on the £35 million addition of Granit Xhaka, much of the focus on Wenger’s team selection has centred upon the two deeper lying positions in the five-man midfield. With the partnership of Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla continuing to perform well in their respective roles, Xhaka career in North London is yet to take off.
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However, much of this attention has resulted in a growing squad battle flying under the radar slightly. With talent abound in attacking areas, many expected there to be a healthy amount of competition within the squad. However, with few injuries to the current options, over the coming weeks, Wenger has some major selection headaches.
It is expected that Olivier Giroud would enter the starting lineup when he eventually recovers from a combination of fatigue from the Euros in the summer and a big toe injury suffered from the midweek draw with Paris Saint-Germain. Consequently, Alexis Sanchez will slide back to his more usual left wing and with Mesut Ozil resuming his role as the central role, there is only one final starting position in the Arsenal side.
That position is the troublesome right wing. Theo Walcott has started every Premier League game in this role so far this season but the recent form of explosive youngster Alex Iwobi will push the 27-year-old hard so he can maintain his starting role. In Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Hull City on Saturday, Iwobi was particularly dangerous, assisting twice, including a lovely back heel for Walcott’s clipped finish.
It was an excellent performance from the young attacking midfielder and Wenger may seek to exploit his far superior footballing intelligence over the pacier but rather simplistic style of Walcott. Iwobi’s spacial awareness is outstanding, the way he is able to drift inside, slip between the lines and influence play from these positions is far more dangerous than the one-dimensional, pace orientated Walcott.
Theo has shown signs of improvement this season, suggesting that he could be set for a career defining year barring injury issues, and I would expect him to start next week against Chelsea. Nonetheless, Iwobi cannot be far behind him in the pecking order, and Wenger has a host of weapons to rotate in his attacking roles.