Arsenal‘s Hector Bellerin has praised his teammate Alex Iwobi following the latter’s big impact over the last seven days.
The Nigerian wonderkid was an unlikely starter for the Gunners against Barcelona in the Champions League, and shone during the opening stages of the match, impressing with his speed, dribbling ability and power.
While Iwobi tired and was replaced as Arsenal dropped out of Europe’s premier club competition, the Super Eagles did enough to be handed his first Premier League start—against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The Gunners won the match 2-0, with Iwobi marking his landmark occasion with a fine goal to guarantee the victory following Danny Welbeck’s seventh-minute opener.
Iwobi, like Bellerin, is a graduate of the Arsenal academy, and will surely be keen to demonstrate that he can emulate the impact of the Spanish defender, who has made 28 league starts for the Gunners this term, establishing himself as a key component of Arsene Wenger’s plans.
Speaking to Arsenal Player, as per the club’s official website, Bellerin has praised the 19-year-old and has expressed his delight at his progress.
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“I have always been next to him since the academy so it is always nice to see how players come and graduate into the first team, and I think it is really deserved,” the right-back began.
“He has been playing well in the last few games and I’m really happy for him.”