Charles Watts, the Arsenal correspondent for Goal, has been discussing Willian during a recent YouTube video.
The Brazilian took a trip to Dubai during the international break despite their being a ban on ‘non-essential’ travel out of the UK. The fact that the 32-year-old made the journey meant he would be required to return a negative test for the virus that saw the 2019/20 Premier League campaign brought to a halt earlier this year.
Mikel Arteta was asked about the incident during his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Leeds United and although he played it down, the journalist had his own view on how the Spaniard might be feeling regarding his player’s actions. Here is what he had to say:
“I kind of got the impression, I have to say, from speaking to him, that he wasn’t entirely impressed with what Willian did during the international break even if he has now explained his actions.”
TIF Thoughts on Charles Watts’ comments regarding Arteta’s response regarding Willian…
Given Arsenal having both Mohamed Elneny and Sead Kolasinac contract the virus during this latest international break, you could certainly understand why the Arsenal boss might be disappointed if his players are taking unnecessary risks.
Did Arsenal make a mistake handing Willian such a lucrative contract?
Yes
No
Willian impressed during his first competitive appearance for the Gunners at Fulham on the opening day of the season, earning an impressive performance rating of 8.35/10 but since then, his highest rating in the league of 6.6/10 came during the win against Sheffield United (via WhoScored).
Taking the level of his performances and his recent trip to Dubai into account, you can understand why some Arsenal fans may be starting to question whether handing the former Chelsea man a three-year contract was the correct decision.