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Arsenal recently parted company with Mesut Ozil but they have been warned that two stars on the current roster could pose the same problems as the German.
Former Gunners striker Alan Smith has expressed his fear that Nicolas Pepe and Willian are not giving enough to the team.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, the Arsenal legend said:
''Being 32 isn’t the deciding factor [for Willian] - look at Thiago Silva at Chelsea at 36, he’s one of their best players,"
"It’s not about age, he’s fit enough, it’s not that he can’t run as he still has that little burst of acceleration. It all comes down to attitude.
"If the approach isn’t right and he hasn’t got that hunger, then you aren’t going to get a performance out of him.
"This is something for Arteta. Can he work with him on the training ground?"
Speaking further, Smith added:
"At Chelsea he [Willian] was a goal threat week in, week out and we are not seeing that.
"This is what Arteta felt he was investing in when he brought him into the club. At the moment it is blowing up in his face, which is the last thing he needed.
"He’s worked hard to get Ozil out of the club, but he will turn to Willian and Pepe now to get more out of these players."
He also expressed his worry that Arsenal might struggle to get rid of Nicolas Pepe, with the club having signed him for a club-record fee in 2019.
Is there still time for Willian and Nicolas Pepe to turn the tide at Arsenal?
Nicolas Pepe had set Ligue 1 alight in the 2018-2019 season, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists, which saw several clubs on the continent take notice.
However, he has struggled to match that output since signing with Arsenal for £72m and has been wildly inconsistent over the last 18 months.
It has also been the same story for Willian who started his Arsenal career with a hand in all three goals as the Gunners defeated Fulham 3-0 on his debut.
This got fans giddy with excitement over what he could offer but it proved to be a false dawn, as the Brazilian has struggled since then.
The former Chelsea man is yet to score a goal in 20 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions and the performances by youngsters like Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka have put him under the spotlight.
Having lost their starting spots in recent weeks, both men were handed a chance to impress in the FA Cup clash with Southampton, but they put up another no-show as the Saints eliminated the defending champions.
There is still time for both men to come good at the Emirates but they have to rediscover their best form quickly, otherwise they run the risk of being totally usurped in the first team.
