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The Brazilian striker started his career with the Gunners positively, but the former Chelsea winger is now criticized for his recent performances
It all started so well.
Willian’s debut for Arsenal in the late summer sun at Fulham had fans hailing the addition of the free-floating Brazilian from Chelsea.
The 32-year-old had a hand in all three goals as Arsenal kicked off the new Premier League season with a convincing win at Craven Cottage, creating two and seeing his shot deflect on Alexandre Lacazette’s trajectory for the other.
He was named man of the match, receiving just over 63% of all votes cast by Arsenal fans around the world.
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“I don’t think it’s much better than that,” said a happy Mikel Arteta after the match. “It showed how much he really wants it and how much he will lead the other players.
“He was decisive and that’s what we expect him to do consistently. He is a player with extraordinary quality. “
It looked like Arsenal had found the ideal man to replace the void created by Mesut Ozil’s ostracism, but keep the clock ahead a couple of months and Willian risks becoming a big problem for Arteta.
The striker has yet to score in his 10 club appearances and hasn’t increased his number of assists since day one at Fulham.
His below-average performance has already cast doubt on the wisdom of handing him a three-year contract worth around £ 150,000 ($ 197,000) a week and there are growing demands for Nicolas Pepe to have a long run on the team at the Brazilian’s expense.
So, Arsenal made a costly mistake in handing the two-time Premier League winner such a long contract? Or is it the case of Willian simply taking his time to adapt to a new club after seven successful years at Chelsea?
Arteta remains convinced that his summer recruit will arrive well.
“I think he started very well with his first match against Fulham,” said the Arsenal boss. “Since then, we’ve changed the top three, he had an injury and had no time to train, no pre-season – he was later than the others.
“I see development in the last few games. The understanding of the things I ask is probably different from what he is used to, but it is getting better and better.
“We all know the quality he has and he’s a great option to have on the pitch. I think he’s a player who can make a difference.”
Willian’s quality certainly cannot be doubted. He has won almost everything there was to win during his career and was one of Chelsea’s standout artists last season when he played a key role in the Blues securing his Champions League qualification.
He scored 11 goals and provided nine assists for Frank Lampard’s side, creating an average of 1.7 chances per game for his teammates at Stamford Bridge.
The problem is, of course, that so far it hasn’t been able to replicate that kind of shape in North London, other than that one dazzling show at Craven Cottage.
There were signs during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United that he was starting to find his feet. He worked tirelessly on the right side of the attack at Old Trafford and saw a fine shot cut the crossbar after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had played the ball in his trajectory.
However, a terrible performance against Aston Villa on Sunday night – when Arteta’s side fell to a crushing 3-0 defeat – once again had the critics on their backs.
The Arsenal manager will now use this international break as an opportunity to analyze the first months of the season and the form of his front three will undoubtedly be at the top of his agenda.
Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Willian have only five league goals and Arsenal have only scored nine in their first eight games, the lowest score since the 1998-99 season.
Something needs to change and it could be that the top three have a new look when Arsenal return to action at Leeds United on 22 November.
However, even if Willian finds himself on the bench, it is still too early for the Brazilian international to be canceled or labeled a flop.
Every player, even an experienced player, needs time to adjust to a new club, new teammates, a new way of playing and a new manager.
So, perhaps unsurprisingly, Willian has openly admitted that it hasn’t been easy to adjust to the rigid way Arteta wants his team to play.
“I hadn’t worked with a manager with that mindset,” the former Chelsea star told Globo Esporte. “Position play doesn’t mean you don’t have freedom on the pitch, but many times you have to respect the position, what the coach asks, the instructions, understanding that it will be better for the team.
“It may happen that you don’t touch the ball and you get frustrated, but Mikel always says ‘Wait a minute, the ball will come’. I learned a lot.”
Willian has had a lot to deal with since moving from Chelsea. It should also be noted that he was happy at Stamford Bridge and would have stayed in West London if the offer for a three-year contract was made.
“They knew how long I wanted to stay,” he told the Daily Mail. “I wanted to be a legend for the club.”
This isn’t to say Willian is unhappy at Arsenal, but it’s another reason why he deserves some time to adjust to his new environment at his new club before being considered another costly mistake that will do little but take up space. on the paycheck for the next three years.
“He has the ability to find the last action to open the door when everything is really tight,” Arteta said. He is improving more and more and will prove to be a great option to have on the pitch. “
Willian hasn’t yet shown his full range of qualities with an Arsenal shirt, however, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the striker left for the away trip to Leeds.
But that wouldn’t mark the end of the road for a player who has made 241 Premier League appearances since joining Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013.
He has shown against Fulham that he still has a lot to offer and has a manager who firmly believes he will soon prove that kind of class again.
Arsenal certainly hope so. The club can’t really afford another costly mistake.
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