Alex Iwobi demonstrates his class in Arsenal’s Hull drubbing

After a summer in which Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger finally broke the bank to land some big-money signings, it was noteworthy in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Hull City that the team’s star was an academy product.

Alex Iwobi cost Arsenal nothing, but he looks set to contribute a huge amount to their 2016/17 campaign.

Iwobi made his breakthrough last season, capitalising on a spring injury crisis to launch a surprise bid for a regular place. When the summer came, it was telling that despite strengthening the spine of his side, Wenger did not spend big on a wide attacker—Iwobi was always part of his plans.

The decision to allow both Joel Campbell and Serge Gnabry to leave the club in the summer was presumably made to at least partially prevent the Nigerian’s path to the first team being blocked.

The fact the academy product is an excellent player is probably no coincidence. Iwobi’s entire football education has come during Wenger’s reign at Arsenal. He is schooled in the Frenchman’s preferred style of play, raised on a doctrine of quick passing and intelligent movement.

Iwobi is, in some respects, an archetypal Wenger player. From the minute he came into the side, he seemed to have a preternatural capacity to slot into Arsenal’s intricate style.

That much was certainly in evidence against Hull. Iwobi is still only 20 but plays with a startling seniority. There is conviction in everything he does—when he picks up the ball, there is no hesitation. He has the speed and power to burst past an opponent, the vision to see a pass and the confidence to take on a shot if required.

It’s something of a surprise he didn’t end up on the scoresheet at the KCOM Stadium. Initially, it appeared he had, when his left-footed strike bounced into the Hull net to give Arsenal the lead. However, replays showed the ball had struck Alexis Sanchez on its way into the goal. The Chilean, hungry to prove he can play as Arsenal’s No. 9, was unlikely to give up a fortuitous goal.

Iwobi was denied on a couple of other occasions by good goalkeeping, but the lack of a goal shouldn’t concern him. What was most encouraging was the manner in which he slotted seamlessly into Arsenal’s team game. He is blessed with plenty of individual skill but with a mentality that favours the collective.

We saw those two attributes combine perfectly for his assist for Theo Walcott’s goal. Iwobi produced an audacious flick to send Walcott through one-on-one, and the England international chipped calmly over Eldin Jakupovic. It was a moment of outrageous imagination and impudence from Iwobi but directly benefited a team-mate.

Unsurprisingly, Wenger was impressed by his young charge’s display. Speaking to the team’s official website, the Gunners boss said:

He is 20 years old, and I think he has talent, he has ambition, he has a big passion for the game and until now he has humility. We have to take care that he keeps that quality, because it’s an important one.

But he has gained confidence and power. I believe as well he has a good combination between quick passing, picking players out and running with the ball. He gets that balance right, until now, and that’s not easy.

It’s high praise, but there is a warning attached. Wenger is obviously keen to ensure Iwobi retains the humility that has allowed him to reach this point. Perhaps there’s an allusion to the one weakness in the Nigerian’s game: defensive concentration.

Despite being brilliant in the attacking third, Iwobi was a little lax when it came to tracking his man. All too often, Hull right-back Ahmed Elmohamady roared past the winger without any great difficulty. That left Nacho Monreal exposed, but fortunately, the Spaniard was up to the challenge. However, on another day Iwobi might have been punished for his lack of concentration.

If he wants to fulfil his potential, he must pay attention to every aspect of his game, not just the more glamorous side.

For all the understandable excitement over Iwobi, a couple of Arsenal signings showed their ability too.

This was Shkodran Mustafi’s best game in an Arsenal shirt—although he misjudged one header in the first half, he was largely solid. The German showed a great ability to win the ball with sliding challenges, ensuring he arrived at the ball before his opponent. He has a style that is at once physical and precise and seems to be meshing well with Laurent Koscielny at the heart of the Arsenal back four.

Granit Xhaka made his presence felt too. Although he was only introduced as a second-half substitute for the yellow-carded Santi Cazorla, he was clearly determined to stake his claim for a regular place. In the dying moments of the game, he thundered in Arsenal’s fourth goal from fully thirty yards. It was a fantastic demonstration of the ability he has in his left boot and a clear message to Wenger that he is ready to start Premier League games.

However, Iwobi remained the major talking point. Big signings are always exciting, but the Arsenal fans will surely have been thrilled to see one of their own excelling on the Premier League stage.

The player seems to be thoroughly enjoying things. In an interview with Arsenal’s website, he said:

It gives me confidence in every game I play, I’m excited, I can’t wait to play and can’t wait to get minutes on the pitch. I’m also enjoying my football which is what matters to me.

We created so many chances, we dominated the play. We have a strong squad, not just players on the pitch but also players off the pitch. We have a lot of quality so we could have a great season.

Iwobi may well be right. After a sticky start, Arsenal have put together an impressive-looking set of results. If they are to enjoy a positive campaign, one suspects the homegrown Iwobi will play a major part in it.