Last on my list of Arsenal youngsters is a certain Serge Gnabry, who, unlike the other two, has experienced competitive football in the Gunners’ first team already. He has featured in a couple of Premier League games last season and a Champions League game also. The German is a mere 18 years of age but is more likely to make an appearance at some point this season, more than the aforementioned Akpom and Zelalem. Serge has drawn comparisons to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain due to being skilful, fast and very capable physically. Both are considered to be powerful wingers.
The video below are highlights of him against Nagoya Grampus, which is a team Arsenal faced on their pre season tour of Asia. At 0:43 ’til the next clip you can see exactly why I have compared him to Chamberlain. A pacey winger who isn’t afraid to beat a player and unleash a powerful shot at the end of it. A very direct player – which is what Chamberlain is – and one of a few members in the first team who is actually like that. Another reason the excitement has built up around Gnarby.
Like Chamberlain, Gnabry is also willing to stick to his defensive duties if needs be. The fact that Gnabry is a workhorse suggests that he has a high amount of stamina and endurance and he does.
Lastly, even though I could go on and on about him, he has sublime awareness. This is beneficial for a winger because you need to be able to spot paths between opponents which you can look to exploit. You also need good awareness to know when to go on a run or pass it because sometimes a simple pass inside to a member of your team can be more helpful than you going on a run and eventually losing it.
The player’s clever, the player’s quality, the player’s young but the player has the potential to be huge.
Enjoy the video, as always.