Alex Iwobi has revealed the change in mentality that has helped him become one of Arsenal’s standout performers under new head coach Unai Emery.
Iwobi, who has been liberated by Emery’s arrival in north London, impressed again as Arsenal secured their 10th consecutive victory with a 3-1 win over Leicester City on Monday night.
“He has just given me confidence to express myself, to believe in my ability which I have been trying to show,” Iwobi said of Emery.
“In training he is always letting me try new things, be positive, be direct and prove it in the game. It is working for me so I just have to keep it going.”
Asked whether he feels like a better player now than he was a year ago, Iwobi said: “I would just say I am more confident. I feel that even if I make a mistake I am able to go again. I think that is the difference between me last year and this year.”
The 22-year-old added that he has been helped by the guiding presence of Mesut Ozil, who provided an attacking masterclass in the victory over Leicester.
“I have been training with him since I was 17 and I have seen what he can do,” Iwobi said. “The quality he has is not just in training but as you can see in the match last night, he is a world-class player and he proved that again.
“He gives me advice in a different way. He jokes around but always tells me I can do more. Even last night he was saying I do more – he is always one of those guys.
“But is he always happy, always telling me and giving me the confidence to express myself.”
Ozil captained the side from the start for the first time in his Arsenal career and Iwobi added: “It is not just him who is captain. There are lots of leaders from the goalkeeper to even Laca [Alexandre Lacazette], we are a team who just like to help each other so we are always giving information and communicating.
“Mesut will come across as laid back but he is helping everyone in a different way and helps me a lot.”
