Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi has revealed that, following the arrival of Unai Emery, he is now supported by a data analyst who helps him optimise his offensive attributes.
The Nigerian, who has often been accused of lacking the end product, diminishes the importance of his stats and claims he now feels more involved in the Gunners’ attacking play.
Iwobi spectacularly broke into Arsenal’s senior squad three seasons ago, adding extra dimension to the Gunners’ offensive line with his flair and pace.
However, the 22-year-old has never scored more than three goals in a season, prompting fans to criticise him for his statistics.
But the Nigerian claims that he now feels more confident going forward thanks to a data analyst, who sends him video footage of his performances – proving again the degree of Emery’s attention to detail.
He told the club’s website: “This season I feel much better and I feel like I’m in control, especially going forward in an attacking sense. “I have an analyst now who is always trying to help me, which I didn’t have in seasons before, so he’s sending me clips and saying what I can do better.”
Iwobi says he is aware the numbers he puts up at Arsenal are short of what is expected from an offensive player at a top Premier League club.
Although he has been revealed as the king of the Premier League nutmeggers from the first part of the season.
He said: “That’s helped me and I’d like to say I’ve been involved in a few goals this season, even it’s not the assist or the goal, I’ve been getting a few pre-assists which go unnoticed.
“But at the end of the day as long as the team does well, that’s my main concern.
