While Arsene Wenger frets about his team and how they capitulated against Liverpool, there is one player who seems to be doing a pretty good job of showing the manager why he deserves a good run in the team. Serge Gnabry has been starring for Germany in the Olympics and now has scored six goals in the tournament, and his stellar performances have taken the national team all the way to the semi-finals.
Gnabry though has not had the best of times at Arsenal, the winger has barely made an impact for the senior side, even though he is 21 at the moment and even spent four months on loan at West Bromwich Albion last season which didn’t really see him play a lot of games, in fact, he only made three appearances in total for Tony Pulis before making a swift return to the Arsenal side again without getting a first team chance.
The German is one of the brightest spots in the team but it is a surprise as to why he was not given chances so far in his career, especially when players like Alex Iwobi have been given the opportunity to impress. Even Joel Campbell, who was seen as an outcast, was provided with a chance to show what he can do and boy did he grab that with both hands.
There has been a lot of surprises as well from Germany as to why Gnabry has not been given a chance to prove his ability. His manager in the German Olympic team did have a pop at Arsenal over the treatment they have meted out to the 21-year-old German.
As quoted by the Express, German manager Horst Hrubesh did speak about Gnabry’s ability and chances.
“Over the last two years, he wasn’t always fully fit. What annoys me is that people at his club have never given him enough trust during that time.
“And you can see now what an important player he can be and at what level he can play at.
“He showed that to everyone and hopefully he will now get the opportunities at his club to play in that position.”
That in itself is a reason why Arsene Wenger might not have given him a chance to play too many games at the club. Gnabry was recovering from a long-term injury he picked up in the 2013-14 season but the German seems to be fit and raring to go.
This certainly is a wake-up call for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger that they should be giving Gnabry a run in the first team. He is a hard worker and often tracks back to help the team and are already someone who plays in the Arsenal way with quick and smart passes with his teammates.
Gnabry has all the tools to become a big player in the coming seasons but he needs to be given chances. Arsene Wenger might just have to play him given how well he has done in the Olympics. This is the chance for Gnabry to strike and should he play the same way he has done for the national side, there is no doubt he will have a big role at the club.