Wenger surprised by Iwobi impact

Arsene Wenger says he did not expect Alex Iwobi to have such a big impact on Arsenal.

The 19-year-old made his first-team debut in the 3-0 Premier League win over Swansea in October and has developed into an important player in recent weeks.

Iwobi scored his first goal at senior level against Everton before the international break and added a second in Saturday’s 4-0 Premier League win over Watford.

The versatile attacker received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Theo Walcott on Saturday and Wenger has admitted Iwobi’s form has taken him by surprise.

“The fans have seen many good players over the years and they know straight away when a player has something special, so they acknowledge that,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.

“You cannot cheat people. They’ve seen how quickly Alex’s improved and how well he’s played. 

“It’s surprising how quickly he’s integrated into our game. He’s worked with us since the start of the season and he has grown, gained confidence and when he came in he had an impact straight away. 

“That’s benefited from the fact that he knows everybody and they trust him as well. I didn’t expect that level of efficiency or impact on the scoresheet.”