Mikel Arteta has expressed his joy at seeing his former Arsenal teammate Alex Iwobi finally fulfilling his potential.
The Nigerian international, now thriving at Fulham, has emerged as one of several ex-Gunners who have found a new lease of life at Craven Cottage.
Iwobi made his first-team breakthrough during Arteta’s final season as a player at Arsenal but was later sold by Unai Emery, who succeeded Arsene Wenger, in the summer of 2019.
After spending four years at Everton, the 28-year-old made the switch to Fulham 18 months ago, where Marco Silva has rejuvenated his career.
A key figure in Fulham’s strong start to the season, Iwobi has scored four goals in his last six matches, including a standout brace in their commanding 3-1 victory over Brighton on Thursday night.
Fulham now prepare to host Arsenal on Sunday, and Arteta is well aware of the danger his former teammate poses.
When asked about Iwobi’s resurgence, Arteta said, “I always liked him a lot. I thought that he had a tremendous talent, a very special quality. He had the capacity to play in different spaces and different positions. I’m really happy to see him playing at that level.”
Arsenal, who dropped five points to Fulham last season in results that ultimately derailed their title hopes, are bracing for another stern test.
Reflecting on those past encounters, Arteta remarked, “It’s going to be a big challenge which we experienced last year when we lost five points against them. I have been very complimentary about them, the coach and what they do, so it’s always a really tough place to go.”
