Where there’s a Willock, there’s a way
Arsene Wenger’s last FA Cup game may have set Joe Willock’s Arsenal career back a few months but Unai Emery’s first saw the 19- year-old emphatically back on track.
The attacking midfielder, playing in the central role of an attacking midfield three, scored twice in the first half to steady Arsenal nerves and ensure there was no repeat of the mauling they took at Nottingham Forest in the third round last season.
That game, Wenger’s last in a competition he won an incredible seven times, was a blow for the Frenchman, but also Willock who suffered along with a number of young team-mates in that 4-2 loss.
A player many at Arsenal compare to a young Paul Pogba was used sparingly the rest of last season before Wenger finally handed him his league debut against Newcastle in April.
Since then, under successor Emery, chances have been sparse and limited to low-key Europa League outings although the manner of his — and other youngsters’ — performances at Bloomfield Road suggested there may be extended first-team experience in the very near future.
“It was one of my aims at the start of the season to push on and try to get in the box more and get a few more goals and help the team to victory so, yes, all the hard work is paying off,” said Willock.
“It is going well for me. Hopefully showing what I can do when I get the opportunities. I have always wanted to push on and play more in the Premier League and stuff so I am just being patient but it’s been good, yes.”
Certainly, if pedigree is anything to go by, Willock already has a head start on any of his young rivals trying to force their way into Emery’s first team plans.
Born and raised in Waltham Forest, older brother Matty is with Manchester United and younger sibling Chris left Arsenal for Benfica in 2017 — with all three having actually been on a field together when United and the Gunners reserves met two years ago.
“My dad has just been football crazy since we were very young — he used to take us to the park before training and after training,” said Willock.
We go together and we’ve just been ‘on it’ since we were very young. It has been hard work “My mum and dad gave up their jobs, we went through a period where we didn’t have any money because we had to go to football and my mum and dad couldn’t work all the time so they were dropping us here and dropping us there so they have made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point so I am just trying to repay them every day.
That upbringing has clearly served Willock, and his brothers, well. Father Charles, clearly, not only served as the brothers’ major inspiration but remains their biggest supporter and critic, even using scouting software to follow their every kick.
“Growing up, he was the only person I ever cared about commenting on one of my matches,” said Willock. “I will go home now and if he has said I’ve played bad, I don’t really listen to anyone else except my dad because he has always guided me in the right way.
“He has a thing call Wyscout and he looks at all our games and every individual clip over and over again and he will try to come to the game if it’s in England or fly if it is overseas.
“He has kicked every ball and always been watching me and us. He is very proud that all the hard work and sacrifices are paying off. As a family growing up — it’s all paying off.”
Quite how far any of these youngsters progress under Emery is, of course, open for debate.
Alex Iwobi, at 22 now firmly established in the first team, scored Arsenal’s late third but there were also fine outings from 21-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 19-year-old Eddie Nketiah, who might have scored a first-half hat-trick, and substitute cameos for the even younger Zech Medley, 18, and Bukayo Saka, 17. In short, the competition for places is intense, even before Emery moves in the transfer window for the centre-half and winger he plans to add to his squad.
Denis Suarez, the Barcelona winger with whom he worked in Sevilla, is a £20 million target. “I think the club is working for the possibility to take some players who can help us in these next four months,” said Emery, who spoke of Suarez without confirming his interest.
Howard 5 (Mafoumbi 69, 5); Nottingham 5, Daniels 6, O’Connor 5, Bola 6; Delfouneso 7, Spearing 6, Guy 6, Feeney 5; Taylor 5 (Pritchard 62, 6), Gnanduillet 5 (Davis 83).
Anderton, McLaughlin, O’Sullivan, Bunney.
Cech 6; Jenkinson 7, Lichtsteiner 6, Papastathopoulos 6, Kolasinac 7 (Medley 83); Elneny 7, Ramsey 8; Maitland-Niles 8, Willock 9, Iwobi 8 (Saka 86); Nketiah 7 (Lacazette 64, 6).
Torreira, Smith-Rowe, Martinez, Guendouzi.
M Dean
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
