Now while Arsenal’s narrow 2-1 FA Cup victory over Burnley yesterday was anything but convincing – the two goals aside – one success story from the match was very much Alex Iwobi’s performance.
The young Nigerian international has been the breakthrough story of 2015/16 at Emirates Stadium and having started his second successive FA Cup game in a row, the 19-year-old was particularly impressive in a role Mesut Ozil would usually occupy.
A hugely versatile character, Iwobi has played much of his Under-21 games for the Gunners on either the left or right flanks but against Sunderland and against Burnley, he’s looked great just behind the central striker.
Still with a lot of work to do of course, at least Iwobi is making the most of his first few chances in Arsene Wenger’s first team and so much so that it doesn’t look as if he’ll slip away regretfully like in the case of the now prolific Benik Afobe who was in Iwobi’s situation not so long ago.
Now while it may prove hard for youngsters to get into this Arsenal side now with Arsene Wenger having basically admitted this week that you don’t win with kids any more after a 3-0 drubbing earlier in the season at Sheffield Wednesday, we’re remaining positive while outlining five young Guns who may follow Iwobi into first team prominence next season.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five Arsenal youngsters to follow Alex Iwobi into the first team.
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Chris Willock
Young Chris Willock is so highly rated in Arsenal’s academy ranks that even Spanish giants Barcelona were credited with an interest in the striker back in May 2015!
Having been a part of the Gunners’ Barclays Asia Trophy squad last summer where he got some minutes in the Far East, Willock is being gently ushered into the first team matchday experience having been an unused substitute against Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup.
Willock’s task may be tougher than most of his other academy team-mates considering he plays as a striker whereby there is more of an onus to do well right away.
With Arsenal fans more than likely to be calling for another top forward in the summer and Olivier Giroud not going anywhere, Willock may have to bide his time for a while yet but given his potential, we’re sure to be seeing a bit more of him next season.
Jon Toral
When Jon Toral and Hector Bellerin signed for Arsenal’s academy from Barcelona back in 2011, the Spanish duo didn’t know how long it’d take to get into the Gunners;’ first team.
Right now in 2015, Bellerin has been the player that has really accelerated through the ranks, grabbing his first team chance with both hands since a shaky debut away at Borussia Dortmund last season.
Having done so well that he’s effectively outcast Mathieu Debuchy from the team, things are a little different for Toral who continues to cut his teeth in English football with a loan spell in the Championship with Birmingham City.
But despite Toral playing on the wings in a competitive area of the pitch for the Gunners, it’s worth noting that the Spaniard has turned into a fairly reliable source of goals in the second tier, firstly for Brentford and now Birmingham.
Scoring six league goals for the Bees last term and already six for the Blues this, Toral looks a player that is rwady to have a go in Arsenal’s first team given his good adaptability to the English game.
Ben Sheaf
If his inclusion in Arsenal’s travelling party for the League Cup game with Sheffield Wednesday earlier this season is anything to go by, then we might be seeing a bit more of Ben Sheaf in the next few seasons.
An unsused substitute at Hillsborough back in the fourth round, Arsene Wenger leaves no stone unturned and knows when the time is right to give an academy product a place in the matchday experience.
With Sheaf having benefited from being around the first team, despite not playing, Wenger clearly thinks highly of the midfielder.
More of a defensive minded midfielder, we all know that Krystian Bielik is expected to graduate into Arsenal’s first team at some point but so too could Sheaf who was actually poached from West Ham United’s academy back in July 2014.
Dan Crowley
Dan Crowley is another highly-rated young player in Arsenal’s academy and like Willock also got some game time in the Barclays Asia Trophy last season.
However, a loan spell to League One Barnsley didn’t exactly go to plan earlier this season with Lee Johnson’s side having sent Crowley back to Arsenal ahead of schedule back in October over an alleged poor attitude.
A midfielder in the Jack Wilshere mould, Crowley is more than likely to have another go out on loan in the Football League before he gets a place in Arsenal’s first team but being the ball-playing kind of midfielder that Arsene Wenger likes, not to mention his potential that Johnson did actually note in his assessment, he has a good future ahead of him.
Jeff Reine-Adelaide
All Arsenal fans know who Jeff Reine-Adelaide is now after a cracking performance against Wolfsburg in the Emirates Cup last summer, not to mention being an unused substitute many a time in Arsene Wenger’s first team so far this season.
But it does look as if his time will come far more often next season and beyond with the French youngster having only got first team game time against Sunderland in the FA Cup third round as a second-half substitute so far this season.
Playing on the wings in an overcrowded area for Arsenal with everybody fit, it is feasible that Reine-Adelaide will go out on loan next season but given the raw ability we saw showcased in his first few kicks for Arsenal in the summer, he looks somebody who is made to entertain for a club like the Gunners.
