Willian stat from Aston Villa defeat highlights key Arsenal problem Mikel Arteta must fix

Arsenal star Willian has infruiated fans after stats showed he made two forward passes in 65 minutes in the Premier League defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday night.

Willian made an instant impact on his Arsenal debut in September with two assists against Fulham on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.

But his form has dropped markedly in the games since then, having little influence on matches yet still earning trust from manager Mikel Arteta.

Then in Arsenal’s worst performance of the season so far, Willian was once again below-par.

He passed the ball forward on just two occasions according to Opta stats, before being replaced by Nicolas Pepe with 25 minutes to go.

And unsurprisingly the 32-year-old, who signed a three-year deal in the summer, came in for heavy criticism from supporters.

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One fan said: “I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. Start [Reiss] Nelson please.”

While another added: “It’s criminal to say Pepe need to earn a place when the guy in front plays like this.”

And another joked: “If you turn your phone upside down it’s a half-decent LCB pass map.”

Speaking after the match, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted he will use the international break to consider his options in attack – with Arsenal having scored just nine times in eight league games this term.

“If they are not performing then it’s because we have to help them more.

“We will consider those things when we look back on all of the games that we’ve played since the last international break.

“It will depend on who is in good form, who is in good spirits and how the boys react to that defeat as well. We’ll try to make the right adjustments.”

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source: express.co.uk