Pires predicts bright future at Arsenal for Iwobi

Alex Iwobi's 30 minute cameo against Watford last weekend had club legend Robert Pires purring, as the Frenchman later admitted that the young Nigeria international has a promising future with the Premier League side.

Iwobi was the catalyst in a mid-game revival which saw the 'Gunners' turn the result on its head; the midfielder provided the cross for Craig Cathcart's own goal, and also played a large role in the build-up to Mesut Ozil's second. And club legend Pires has revealed that he made the extra effort to speak to the young Nigerian after the game, in order to praise the player for the impact he had on the outcome of the contest. 

Speaking to 'Standard Sport' about Iwobi's performance in the match, Pires said: "He's a great player, very fast. He finds good solutions on the field with his vision. He has good mentality and spirit. Of course, he's young but he's learning very quickly. Arsenal with Alex Iwobi and Alex Iwobi with Arsenal have a good future."

Iwobi in turn praised the impact that new boss Unai Emery has had upon his personal development at Arsenal, after enduring more of a peripheral role under previous manager Arsene Wenger.  Speaking to the media after Arsenal's 2-0 win, Iwobi said: "The boss has basically told me that if something doesn't work, just keep going and don't dwell on it. He's told me to stop being so critical and to just keep trying no matter what happens, no matter if things don't go as I want them to .That's given me a lot more confidence to try a few more things, like beat a player, to shoot more."

Up next for Arsenal is a long trip to Azerbaijan, where they play Qarabag FK on Thursday, before returning home and making the short trip across the capital to face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.