Arsenal fans slam ‘finished’ Willian as Odegaard arrival piles on the pressure
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Arsenal fans slammed Willian as 'finished' after he was spotted jogging during Arsenal's 3-1 win over Southampton.
The Gunners looked a different side to earlier in the season as Mikel Arteta's side showcased a new-found attacking fluency at St Mary's.
Willian came on for Emile Smith Rowe after the youngster was forced off through injury, but fans weren't happy with the ex-Chelsea man's performance.
One Arsenal supporter took to Twitter to blast the 31-year-old, posting a clip of Willian taking a leisurely stroll while team-mate Pepe battled his way through three Saints players.
The fan tweeted: "This for me is why Willian is a finished player.
"He's just come on, has fresh legs with the entire left side open and instead of sprinting forward and creating an attacking option for Pepe, he simply jogs alongside him, not breaking sweat."
Some supporters defended Willian, pointing out that he risked running into an offside position if he sprinted into space – also leaving Arsenal's left flank open to a counter-attack.
But plenty of fans agreed with the criticism, with one saying: "If Willian had actually sprinted forward, it’ll create panic in Southampton defence as they’ll want to close him down too. This would’ve opened up more space for Pepe to make a decision."
Another went in even harder on Willian, claiming the Brazilian "isn't up for it".
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The tweet read: "The bloke clearly doesn't give a s**t. Does that look like a player trying to play himself in to form and getting the fans on side? You can't fool fans, he isn't up for it. Simple as that."
Willian has struggled for form since joining Arsenal on a free transfer last summer, and has been widely criticised for his performances.
He has not made a Premier League start since the defeat to Everton in mid-December – with the Gunners unbeaten in six top-flight games since then.
Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and even Pepe have all moved ahead of him in the pecking order during that run – and the arrival of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid this week has piled pressure on Willian.
Odegaard can play on either flank or as a No10 – in other words, all the positions Willian can play.
The injury to Smith Rowe was a blow ahead of Saturday's visit of Manchester United, with his performances having been instrumental to Arsenal's recent mini-revival.
If the 20-year-old is not passed fit for the weekend, Willian could be presented with another chance to impress while Odegaard is readied for Premier League action.
But if he is involved, the pressure will be on the two-time Premier League winner to perform as the Gunners target a sixth win in seven top-flight games.
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