Published: 7 April, 2016
by STEVE BARNETT

ARSENE Wenger has heaped praise on hotshot Alex Iwobi, revealing he hadn’t expected the young striker to make such a big impact this season. 

The Nigerian forward followed his first senior goal against Everton with a cool finish in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Watford, that helped close the gap on close rivals Spurs to four points. 

Iwobi was given a standing ovation by the Emirates crowd as he left the field to be replaced by Theo Walcott, and Wenger said it was testament to the 19-year-old’s fine performance. 

“These people have seen many good players over the years and they know straight away when a player has something special, so they acknowledge that,” the manager told Arsenal Player. “You cannot cheat people. They’ve seen how quickly he’s improved and how well he’s played. It’s surprising how quickly he’s integrated into our game. He’s worked with us since the start of the season and he has grown, gained confidence, and when he came in he had an immediate impact. He’s benefited from the fact that he knows everybody and they trust him. I didn’t expect that level of efficiency or impact on the scoresheet.” 

Reflecting on the 4-0 win, he added: “Now we have to find the right mixture between belief and being realistic, focus­ing on the next game, focusing on the process, and adding that belief. We can still challenge for the title.”