Alex Iwobi says Arsenal have reacted well to August’s 4-0 defeat at Liverpool after securing a fourth consecutive clean sheet in their victory over Brighton.
The Gunners beat the newly-promoted side 2-0 on Sunday with the Nigeria international sealing the three points in the second half with a tidy finish following an eye-catching back-heeled assist from Alexis Sanchez.
Reflecting on the three points, Iwobi told Arsenal.com: “We’ve been doing well, it’s been nice to win again and keep the momentum going and everyone’s confident. Also to get a clean sheet is an extra bonus for the team.
“Obviously, we had a heavy defeat against Liverpool, but ever since then we’ve reacted well, we’re going on strong and yes everyone’s just proving to the Premier League, to the teams, to everyone around, that we’re able to contend for the title.
He added: “We’re always up for the challenge [of winning the league], we just have to be consistent, which is the key thing in the league. It’s no sprint, it’s a marathon, so we just have to keep on going and see where we end up.”
Iwobi also touched on his first goal of the season and his eagerness to continue taking the opportunities handed to him by the manager.
“I don’t know if Alexis saw me, but if he did and he meant that, that was a special pass, like I didn’t know he was going to see me and find me. I’m just grateful for the opportunity, I just got my head down and had a shot and luckily for me it went in.
“When I get an opportunity I just give 100 per cent. Obviously we’ve got a lot of great players in the team so I’ve had to be patient and I’m still young, but whenever I get the opportunity I always give my best and like today I was able to do that.”
Many of the first team squad now head off on international duty. When they return we face three away games in eight days against Watford, Red Star Belgrade and Everton.
Good lad, so young but a potential replacement for Ozil, and better if he starts scoring.
Great potential but cannot imagine he will ever have the vision and creativity of Ozil
IMO, he doesn’t need to, he just needs to be different. If he improves on his defensive workrate, keeps his workrate and maintains tactical shape, keeps his direct dribbling skills, and increase his scoring, then his sum will be greater than just his creative part.
Liverpool did brilliant buying the Ox. That football genius Klopp.
Meanwhile we are stuck with Iwobi.;)
Why do you have to slam another manager to make your point? Did Klopp do you wrong?
Hahahaha.Gengenpresse he calls it.
Jonathan Swift at his best.
Would relish that improvement tbh. We’ve been sorely lacking a b2b, if he improves those attributes he can be our “Vieira” after years of missing such a player.
Lol thats all he needs to do to be better then Ozil SMH Damn sign me up. It doesn’t sound too hard. It sounds quite simple. Why don’t we have 24 players better then Ozil?
Basically we need a better version of what Iwobi actually is. lol
And I think many seem to miss the point. Its not a direct comparison whether one of our players is better than the other and should start ahead. Rather we need all options and different skill sets. We will need Ozil but also Iwobi, Ramsey, Jack to all be at their best throughout the campaign. Just as we need Giroud AND Lacazette but also Alexis, Welbeck (when he returns) and even Walcott up top. We will also need Coquelin to push Granit even if they are completely different in terms of skill set but also even Jack, Elneny and of… Read more »
He is not the same kind of player as Ozil. But he could take the spot in the team when Ozil leaves. He is very strong and athletic, and that is what we miss up front sometimes.
I think we have three decent in house possibilities to replace Ozil: Iwobi, Ramsey, Wilshire, and are linked to a 4th, Lemar. I’d love to see a top quality CB come induring the next couple windows, like VanDijk or (swoon) Koulibaly.
Its good for the club when academy players make it and do well.
he is more into rosicky’s mould rather than being ozil’s heir.
I agree he is more of a Rosicky spark plug type than a languid, Ozil style. I can see him getting more goals with his movement. His finishing does need a lot of work though.
Agreed. At this point his finishing is worst than rosicky. But he is definitely much more stronger physically.
He isn’t a worse finisher than Welbeck. He does bring momentum and incisive passing to the team’s play. Ozil was never criticised for low goal tally, as long as he helped the team play better.
I feel he is potentially best in deep midfield.
He has the strength, tight control and eye for a through pass to flourish there plus he is discipline.
When he garners momentum of his own it could be a consideration in which case we could play Ramsey to his better instincts further forward.
IF anything, Ramsey is the competitor to Ozil.
Thing is Santori, Ramsey has 30 goals and 33 assists in 217 league games. What makes you think he is good enough to play that role. It’s a myth.
Off Topic but…..
I rated Koeman, and still wish him success, but does signing Rooney (who is fat, nasty, and past it) reveal a serious flaw from one so arrogant?
Given how pundits and the press claimed Everton has gone past us this summer after they spent a few bob I’m really happy to see Everton doing badly. I also preferred them when Martinez was in charge.
The press and their ‘recommendations’.
None of those pundits (bar Neville) have ever managed a club let alone a big club nor have any worked in the transfer market yet they like to spout it out of their arses.
Eddie Howe at Bournemouth was their recommendation last season if I remember well.
Just a load of drivel. NO doubt some sucker will be now repeating the trite about how Ancelotti is the man for us (never mind his age) Next it will be Rafa Benitez you just watch.:D
It was a weird one for sure. I think he had visions of Rooney coming back, leading the line with 20 goals, etc. That was never going to happen. They spent so much in other areas they forgot to buy goal scorers!
I want Koeman to keep his job, so that Everton don’t somehow make ancelotti their new manager before we can…
And now some are clamouring for Ancelotti (the ancient one) to replace Wenger. Goes to show there are no guarantees. Media were all over Martinez before even when he chiefly had Wigan just above relegation. The ‘educated talk’ was he was a young progressive manager. Ditto recently the Bournemouth manager. Koeman seems to have lost his way with Everton. His stock has gone down but doesn’t necessarily mean he is a bad manager. But there are no guarantees in changing the manager. One thing Wenger has guaranteed over two decades is a very high MINIMUM standard finish in top four… Read more »
The difference when he puts his foot through the ball.
Two previous chances hit too tamely.
Exactly. I feel we tend to lack conviction shooting and it wasn’t just Iwobi.
Even Lacazette, Alexis, Ramsey had tame efforts against Brighton. Otherwise we would have narrowed the goal differential substantially.
We seem to do all the hard work creating the chance but let ourselves down with tepid finishing.
Hopefully we continue to improve on this front. We need to be truly ruthless now.
Lacazette had a tame effort? That post at the Emirates is still shaking!
Loved the way Alex put his foot through his shot, power and control.
A big season in store for him this campaign methinks…
Hey kev–
The other half of Alexis’ successful back-heel assist?
Was Alex’s presence of mind to look for it in the first place.
The exchange went:
Ramsey/Iwobi/Sanchez/Lacazette/Ramsey/Sanchez/Iwobi
This one is up there with Wilshere’s wondergoal vs Norwich in 2013– IMHO.
jw1
Amazing awareness from Alexis. Say what you want of him wantaway but we need to enjoy his benefit whilst we still have him. He stays 100% committed and whilst he tends to lose the ball a lot, his role in the team is to act as the catalyst, do the unpredictable, take on the opponents and move them around. That move before the back heel took out 4 BHA players in one go. We will have to replace this “unpredictability” element of his when he does leave. Which is why I mentioned at minimum, we should be looking at a… Read more »
It certainly was a superb goal JW, whatever the future of Alexis I am going to enjoy him this season.
Just come back from the break in one piece… FFS.
The only thing missing from Iwobi’s game is consistent goal scoring. Add that and he’ll be a great player for us.
This is not an attempt to pour cold water on the obvious excitement about the upturn in results after the drubbing at Anfield, but an attempt to put everything into perspective. Home wins against Bournemouth, West Brom and Brighton, as satisfying as they are, should be a given. The draw against Chelsea was commendable and stands out among the pile. Sterner tests are coming: Watford, Everton, City and Spurs are four of the next five games, the other one being Swansea at home – a game we should win easily. Those games will prove if the Chelsea feat was a… Read more »
Agree with you; but at the same time we’ve been in this situation before. We’ll see if it’s different this time around (better)
We have a great crop of young players from Academy which is probably why Wenger eventually decided to let go of the Ox (Albeit he tried to keep him)
Jack represents the old guard from the academy along with Coquelin. Nelson, Maitland Niles are the younger chaps. Iwobi is somewhat in the middle and at his age, ready to realise potential.
“…everyone’s just proving to the Premier League, to the teams, to everyone around, that we’re able to contend for the title.” Steady on Alex. I’m not sure we’re proving any such thing just yet.
He provides blistering pace on the counter attack something Ozil lacks and he’s an uber rated passer
Since when do we listen to taxi companies for player ratings?
Im a bit done with the creaming over that sanchez assist. He literally wasnt that good in the gsme and has been predominantly piss poor in terms of team attidude, consistency and not to mention amount of turnovers still at an alarming rate.
Unrelated, but Wright needs to shut his fucking trap about Wenger.
True. Will always be a legend though. Paul Merson gets on my nerves more then Wrighty with some of his comments. I know he makes stupid comments about other teams as well but this is the Arsenal and he should think twice before getting carried away. We have enough haters in pundit world, we need our own to act in a more considerate way.
I love the machine gun celebration. More of the goals, Alex.
The key to finishing top 4 (as it always is) is that we take 3 points from the teams we are supposed to beat below us in the table and limit those matches in which we drop points. There is a long way to go of course, but just need to grind out as many wins as we can before the inevitable injuries set in.