THE ONLY downside to Arsenal’s cheerful Champions League evening this week was the sight of Gervinho, their nimble attacker, fudging a wonderful chance.
The moment against Borussia Dortmund was symptomatic of an enigma who is capable of delighting and disappointing all in the same move: the Ivorian’s approach play is invariably tantalising. Yet his finishing prompts an almighty groan. He could have had a hat-trick last Saturday at Norwich City, but ended up with three misses.
Arsene Wenger believes he has a gem on his hands and has taken Gervinho aside to have a word with him about his frustrations in front of goal. The manager said: “For a long time you don’t talk about it, but at some stage you have to say: ‘Don’t worry – try to be natural.’ I spoke to him about that, but he is not obsessed with scoring goals, it will come naturally.
“The problem with Gervinho is he is in the opposite position of Robin van Persie. He is desperate for a goal. You could see the other night he had the chance to score but when you start to think you are already finished. But the rest of his game is absolutely fantastic. He works hard for the team, provides, creates space and makes great runs.
“Robin is top, top, top in the world at the moment. Hopefully we can keep him going,” Wenger added. “He is in a period where he shows it is natural for him to score goals. When you are not desperate for goals, you score.”
Wenger, whose side host Fulham this evening, rates Gervinho as one of the best new signings in the Premier League. His statistics were exceptional last season with Lille (15 goals and 10 assists from 35 league games) and, despite the missed chances in England, so far he compares very favourably to Samir Nasri’s opening campaign at Arsenal.
Gervinho has five assists already, compared to Nasri’s two from the whole of his first season.
His developing rapport in a front three with Van Persie and Theo Walcott shows how well Gervinho has settled into Arsenal’s style of play. Although Wenger was not impressed to see the 24-year-old sent off for retaliation on the opening day of the season, at least an important part of adaptation to English football has been negotiated.
Wenger is able to use Alex Song as an example, and recalled how his now outstanding midfielder endured difficulties when he first arrived from France: “He had periods when he had doubts in his mind, when people said he was a bad buy. When you are a young boy that is difficult to take. But he’s got over that, and is one of the players who surprised everybody.”
Fortunately for Arsenal Song will not be going to the Africa Cup of Nations as Cameroon failed to qualify, but Gervinho will be absent for around seven weeks. “It is a concern,” Wenger said. “Sometimes they come back really exhausted.”
Wenger said he had sympathy for the likes of Andrey Arshavin, who was an unused substitute in midweek, Marouane Chamakh and Park Ju-young as they seek to force their way back into contention. “I feel sorry for every player who does not play, but competition is part of our job,” he said.
Arsenal have won 11 of their last 13 matches in all competitions, which has seen them close back in on the top four as well as reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup, where they host Manchester City next week.
“I believe what turned the season around is the excellent attitude and mentality of the players we have,” Wenger said. “The players we have and the players who came in have all shown excellent desire to do well and focus.”
