Premier League: Iwobi, from an irregular winger to one of the best midfielders in the Premier League
And theIn January 2018, two days before Arsenal beat it (4-2) against Nottingham Forest of the (second) FA Cup, Alex Iwobi was ‘stalked’ at dawn in a London nightclub. “I have to see him, but that’s not acceptable,” said Arsene Wenger, who was fined after what happened. “You have to see how long he’s been at that party because that’s so important. Then he decides.”
An episode marked by a wing in the media who exploded his debut in the Emirates and was a candidate for Golden Boy in 2016. However, in 2019, he was transferred to Everton for €32 million as he did not integrate into ‘Arsenal’ despite having minutes. It never shined as brightly as it was in its beginnings and left little The “candy” he stagnated until Frank Lampard arrived at Goodison Park.
key position change
“Iwobi is playing with amazing consistency. He did a lot for the team last season, he played some number 8 matches and I really liked him. His talent in terms of passing quality and strength fit in the middle. I didn’t want to play against him as a midfielder. can run and run“The former Chelsea player admitted in The Times summed up the value of a Nigerian footballer coming out in midfield. As a midfielder, in the double pivot at 1-3-4-3 and on the inside at 1-4-3-3, Iwobi breaks it. Despite With his tendency to fall to the side, the Nigerian is Lampard’s “box for a box”.
I didn’t want to play against Iwobi as a midfielder. can run and run
The numbers support their transformations. He is the fifth player to recover the most balls in the English Premier League (86), surpassed by Rice (116), Mac Alister (103), Saliba (94) and Rodri (88). and the The second best assistant in the Premier League after De Bruyne (nine assists). His five ‘gifts’ show that he shines on the field and in the Everton candies in which he has scored 55% of his Premier League goals (he has also scored one of Merseyside’s 11 goals). His assists against Crystal Palace, one of them after McNeill, were “the best”. And no “tawdi” ran more than him (128 kilometers).
From ’10’ and from ‘8’
After not ‘getting along’ with Marco Silva, Ancelotti, Benitez and Duncan Ferguson… Lampard gets the best of Iwobi at Everton. “I’ve always felt comfortable in midfield. Now I can say I’m playing “10” and “8”“Play where you play, try to give your best. The master has shown me all his confidence so that I can express myself,” he admitted to the Everton website.
I’ve always felt comfortable in midfield. Now you can say I play “10” and “8”. Play where you play, try to give your best. The master showed me all his confidence so that I could express myself
“Alex played winger in my first game and then in midfield out of necessity. He has a lot of energy and can handle the ball, let’s see if he can install himself in the corer”, highlighted “Frankie”. At Everton in a complete rebuilding and with structural problems, Iwobi, more mature and calmer than he was in his time at Arsenal, covers many shortcomings and solves many chronic problems in the “Toffee” game, who have some Courses “flirting” with the descent.
Criticism succumbs to its transformation. “It’s great to see him playing to his full potential. We all knew he had something special, but he was slow to prove himself. Also, the coach put him in the right place. His versatility means he sacrifices himself for the team. In this debut he can catch the ball and make things happen. In Nigeria, he also took charge of the team,” Jay-Jay Okocha announced on Everton’s website about his nephew. The ‘Super Eagles’ legend also paid tribute to Iwobi who found his place at the age of 26. No one could stop him.
