‘He has that ability’… Alex Iwobi left blown away by star Arsenal reluctantly sold

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It now feels like a long time ago that Alex Iwobi was thriving at Arsenal under the stewardship of Unai Emery.

Iwobi left Arsenal in 2019 in search of a new challenge at Everton, he hadn’t quite hit the heights once imagined when he was shining in the Hale End Academy.

Of course, after making 149 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 15 goals and providing 24 assists, the Nigeria international is now playing for Fulham.

Iwobi paved the way for something of an Arsenal reunion in west London these days.

When Mikel Arteta decided to sell Bernd Leno he joined Iwobi at Fulham, and the pair also now enjoy the company of Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson.

And whilst Nelson is still on the periphery of the starting eleven for now, both Iwobi and Smith Rowe are vital cogs.

Alex Iwobi thanks former Arsenal teammate Emile Smith Rowe for superb assist

That being said, after scoring against Everton in a 1-1 draw on Saturday, Iwobi spoke about Smith Rowe given he was the one who provided a brilliant assist for the goal.

Both former Arsenal players were superb in the opener, which should have won Fulham the game.

READ MORE: Tomas Rosicky makes interesting comment about Mikel Arteta after watching Arsenal this season

And in an interview shortly after the game, Iwobi once again reminded Arsenal fans what they are missing out on since Smith Rowe departed the Emirates Stadium.

Iwobi said: “He has that ability to take the ball and take the game by the scruff of it’s neck, able to drive us up the pitch.

“So when he was doing that I just made sure that I’m an option and when he found me it was all about, literally I was just trying to get into the box and there was a space and when I got into the box, [it was about] making sure I kept composed.”

Lashing his finish near post, Iwobi then made an interesting comment about his old Everton teammate, Jordan Pickford.

“Obviously I know Jordan quite well, he doesn’t know that I like to go near post so yeah I was able to get that goal.”

Mikel Arteta could be ready for more painful Arsenal departures

Although Arsenal will have to consistently watch the likes of Smith Rowe thrive as well, it’s still hard to conclude that the wrong decision was made.

Smith Rowe needed regular minutes to show his full potential, and he wasn’t going to get them in north London.

That being said, as this Arsenal squad continues to evolve, there will be more casualties along the way.

Although they’re not Hale-Enders, perhaps it will be difficult to watch the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko eventually leave, two players this project is outgrowing.

And with that in mind, Arsenal have made a decision on Raheem Sterling and his permanent future beyond his year on loan.