Willian ’em on to better days ahead
MIKEL ARTETA reckons Willian is the role model his Arsenal rookies have been crying out for.
The Brazilian winger may not have scored at Fulham but this was the kind of display he produced on a regular basis at Chelsea to lift two titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League
“When that happens, some players have a full stomach,” said Arteta.
“With Willie, I got the feeling that he wanted more, that he wanted to do it again with a different club. So I’m really pleased. I’ll explain that to some of the players.
“We have a lot of young players with big talent and big futures but they need role models. Willie is a really good one to have around the place because he doesn’t talk so much in the dressing room but does his talking on the pitch.”
The timing of the lucrative contract handed to the 32-year-old – so soon after announcing 55 redundancies – sparked justifiable controversy.
But whatever the whys and wherefores of the three-year deal he’d never have received at Chelsea, Willian delivers.
At Craven Cottage he had a hand in all three goals for Alexandre Lacazette, fellow debutant Gabriel and skipper PierreEmerick Aubameyang.
If the FA Cup winners finish in the top four, it is a fair bet he’ll have played a significant role in it.
The Gunners defence is light years away from the shambolic set-up under Unai Emery. Twitter rolled its collective eyes when Mohamed Elneny was brought in from the cold to start in midfield but the
Egyptian justified his selection with a disciplined performance. And up front Arsenal were clinical.
Arteta has changed the mentality. The complacency is gone, so too the lack of direction. Egos are no longer indulged, jumped-up kids like Matteo Guendouzi can no longer get above their station and Arsenal are ruthless again.
Arteta wouldn’t indulge the question but the days of smaller clubs believing the Gunners are there for the taking are gone.
Both teams played and won at Wembley – twice for Arsenal – in the 48 days since the last Premier League season finished.
But here the gulf in class was as wide as the River Thames.
Expect Fulham keeper Alphonse Areola, a stellar signing on loan from PSG, to replace Marek Rodak despite the Slovak’s fine service in the second tier.
Scott Parker’s side were in the game until Rodak allowed Gabriel’s header (well, his shouldered effort) to go in between his legs and in. After that, they were done.