The enigma of Willian

How to solve a problem like Willian? Arsenal's Brazilian enigma

By Adam Le Roux

Will he? Won’t he? Willian… the constant enigma. 

There were mixed feelings when the Brazilian walked through the doors of the Emirates back in the summer, as the winger went from one end of London to the other after a move from Chelsea. 

At 32 years old, there were questions from some about the length of his contract, with a three-year-deal said to be too much for a man coming towards the end of his career. 

But on the other hand, we have all seen the talent he possesses, with the Gunners often being on the wrong end of his weaving runs and technical prowess. 

And after flying out the blocks in his Premier League debut against Fulham – a match where he set up all three goals in a 3-0 victory – it looked like he could replicate what he accomplished in a blue shirt at Stamford Bridge for the last seven years. 

Failing to make an impact

But eight appearances later, Willian is still yet to notch his first Arsenal goal, and has only lasted the whole 90 minutes in just one match this season – the 2-1 victory over Sheffield United back at the start of October. 

Worse than that, he has offered next to nothing in terms of creativity, as demonstrated by the fact he made just two forward passes in the 65 minutes he played during the dismal defeat to Aston Villa, before being replaced by Nicolas Pepe.

His performances have left a lot of Arsenal fans scratching their heads as to what has happened to one of the most flamboyant Premier League talents of recent years, but not boss Mikel Arteta. 

The Gunners boss still has every faith in his summer arrival and has pleaded for patience, with a niggling calf injury blighting his time at the club so far, and was left buoyed by the Brazilian’s performance in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United the weekend before last. 

“I think he started really well with his first game against Fulham,” Arteta said to the Daily Mail last week.

“We’ve been changing the front three, he had an injury and he didn’t have any time to train, any pre-season – he was later than the others.

“We all know the quality he has and he’s a great option to have on the pitch.

“I think he’s a player that can make the difference. He’s got the ability to find that last action to open the door when everything is really tight, to score a goal, to create an assist. 

“As well the personality and stamina he has on the pitch to manage the game we need to in certain moments and at Old Trafford I think he did that really well.”

Improvement coming?

As for the player himself - Willian seems to be enjoying life at the Emirates and under Arteta, who he believes can improve his game even further, which bodes well for the future. 

We must also remember that the former Shakhtar Donetsk man has only had a few months with his current strike partners, and given time to develop an understanding with his teammates, he could be the perfect addition to the Gunners’ frontline. Although the early signs haven’t been great…

From Alexandre Lacazette to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka to Eddie Nketiah, any of these players would hugely benefit from a fully-fit Willian at the top of his game, and would strike fear into many a Premier League defence. 

And nobody seems to realise that more than the Brazilian, who is looking forward to the future under his new boss, and expects huge things from both him and his teammates.

"Arsenal have a great coach and a great chance to fight for titles,” the 32-year-old said. “We can win the league. Maybe not this time but next time. I'm motivated to have more success.

"It's because of his [Arteta’s] ideas. The way he sees football is different. The structure, the way he talks, his advice. It's unique. He will be one of the best I think.

"He just wants me to be the same player I was at Chelsea. Take the ball and go one on one. Dribble, take shots. But with his ideas and instructions I can get better.

"The squad is good with great, young talent but they also need experienced players who have won things. It is not easy or quick to change a mentality but we are on the way.”

A break at the right time?

In a team that is looking for some stability and consistency, Willian firing on all cylinders could be one of the keys to success. 

That running at defences and dribbling at players that he mentions above have been attributes sorely lacking in his Arsenal career to date.

He’s one of the players on the books who have been there, seen it and done it, and his experience as well as his flair and raw talent could make the world of difference as the season goes on.

The international break may have come at the right time for Willian, who can make up for lost time during pre-season to get himself fully fit again, and try to build on any positives he can glean from the season so far.

"That was a great victory at United and important for me to be part of as I know I have to impose my quality on the team," he said before the Villa disaster. "That victory was a big step.

"Clubs wanting to fight for titles can't drop points like that [against Leicester] when they are dominant. 

“We need to win those games but we are on the way. I know we are. The next week we beat United. That tells you a lot.”

What would tell Arsenal fans a lot is if the performances improve after the international break, otherwise the calls for the likes of Reiss Nelson or Nicolas Pepe to play instead will only grow louder.