April was an odd month to be an Arsenal fan. Our form wasn’t terrible, we won three and drew three, but it was the month that officially ended our title race and saw the pressure on Wenger really ramp up. Banners, empty seats and pre-match protests showed the feelings of some supporters.
Now truth be told our title challenge was over a lot earlier. The back-to-back losses against Man Utd and Swansea, followed by the draw to Spurs took the fate of the title from our hands. It was always going to be a struggle from then.
Despite all this there were some things in April to get excited about. Most of these are good indicators for next season more than anything else, but nevertheless, here are some takeaway points from the month.
Alex Iwobi
First up has to be teenage sensation Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian international really burst into the team in style last month, starting all six of our Premier League games. Including his start against Everton in March, Iwobi has started seven games in a row, scored twice, with two assists to his name and an average WhoScored.com rating of 7.47. Not bad for a player in his breakthrough season.
With little to play for this year we’ve had the luxury of being able to give a young player a run in the first team and hopefully that investment will become more telling next season. What also sends a strong message is Wenger’s decision to choose Iwobi over Walcott. It highlights how the England international has become nothing more than a squad player, struggling to hold a permanent position on the wing or upfront.
Alexis Sanchez
With Iwobi bursting onto the scene and taking the left wing spot, Alexis Sanchez has been forced to the right wing and has flourished. The winger has had a very quiet season in his second Premier League campaign, prior to his goal against Tottenham, Sanchez hadn’t scored since October. He was looking good, playing well but the goals were not flowing. However, since the game at Goodison Park, the Chilean has gone seven games with five goals, two assists, and a WhoScored.com rating of 8.19, considerably higher than his season average of 7.52 before then.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the pacey winger has not had a break for three consecutive summers, with international commitments taking their toll. Things aren’t looking much better this year either as a special centenary Copa America is being held in the USA. A player of his quality and style needs a forced rest, but without a clear summer schedule that is looking increasingly unlikely. Hopefully he can start next season at full throttle, but the risk of burn out looms.
Mohamed Elneny
Arsene Wenger always says to give players at least six months before they settle in a new league, but the truth is fans judge a player much quicker than that. Elneny’s goal against Barcelona was lovely and his desire to get forward and shoot often is enjoyed by the fans. He’s always appeared for Arsenal in central midfield alongside another player. Initially it was Coquelin and more recently Aaron Ramsey.
The Egyptian’s story is a bit similar to that of Alex Iwobi. Given we have matches and little to play for; it is a good time for the players to accumulate first team minutes. Elneny has started our last seven Premier League games, with an average WhoScored.com rating of 7.01. What’s noticeable though is that the only two games he has fallen below a score of 7.00 recently were against West Ham and Crystal Palace. In both games we held the lead but failed to secure the points. In some part it’s down to the position he plays, but it also shows his early importance on the team’s performance.
The Bad
Olivier Giroud is the first player on the bad list for April. The striker has recently found himself back in the starting XI after four games as a substitute. However, in his last seven appearances he’s only mustered one assist. That takes the Frenchman to 15 Premier League games without a goal. Poor form for the player we consider our ‘main’ striker.
It’s also been a bad month for Calum Chambers. Not so much to do with poor performances, but more the lack of playing time. The young defender didn’t play a single minute in April and highlights his status as a reserve defender. Given our defence has been injury free recently some may not see this as a surprise, but with Elneny and Iwobi given game time to develop their status in the squad, it’s a small shame not seeing Chambers being given some minutes – at right back or centre back – to help further his game.
Finally, it’s been a very bad month for Arsene Wenger. Seeing Leicester City win the title on Monday night would have been bittersweet for all Arsenal fans. You can’t help but get caught up in the fairytale story, however, there’s a strong overriding feeling that it should have been us that lifted the trophy this season, and many fans blame Wenger for that. Not just on twitter either; fan’s frustration has spread to the Emirates. The pressure is mounting on the boss, and although he looks set to be in charge next year, a poor start could lead to a very long season indeed.
RK
Update: The Arsenal website just published the players of the month for April. From first to third the votes were for Elneny, Sanchez and Iwobi. The above may help shine some light on why! See link below for the article:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160504/elneny-is-vitality-player-of-the-month
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