'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In a good week for English football – which has seen three Premier League sides qualify for the next stage – the national team’s next big hope, Jack Wilshere, gave the English game something else to smile about with a man of the match performance as Arsenal defeated Marseille. Wilshere’s two-goal salvo from just three attempts has won him the Squawka Champions League young player of the week award and ensured that Arsenal are within a point of qualification for the next round of the competition as group leaders.
Wilshere’s performance reminded Arsenal fans just what he can do, having lost his status as the golden boy of Arsenal’s midfield to a resurgent Aaron Ramsey and new boy Mesut Ozil. His performance score of 79 gave him the man of the match award in that game, as his goals separated the sides in a 2-0 win.
The England youngster’s double came from three shots on goal, shown above. He opened the scoring within the first minute of the game, cutting in from the right before beating Lucas Mendes and firing a curled effort into the far corner. Slotting in his second from an Ozil pass at the end of a flowing team move, Wilshere defied manager Arsene Wenger’s recent comments that he didn’t see him as a regular scorer from midfield.
In addition to his goals, Wilshere also provided three key passes for the Gunners on a night on which he completed 82% of his passes. Whilst many of his teammates scored higher Pass Accuracy figures, Wilshere was constantly looking for the chance creating pass, as Arsenal pushed on against an unambitious Marseille side.
Wilshere was nominally positioned on the right hand side of Arsenal’s midfield three, but showed good interchanging with the rest of the midfield to get across the pitch well. As his heat map shows above, Wilshere was involved in all attacking areas of the pitch, including a number of touches in the area.
After the game Wenger suggested that Wilshere has seen the recent improvements made by Ramsey and raised his game to compete. If Wilshere can replicate the kind of form that he showed on Tuesday, then he is likely to regain his status as a key man for both club and country.
