Serge Gnabry. The German winger with so much potential. He made his professional Arsenal debut way back in 2012 against Coventry City in the League Cup. He was aged just 17-years-old at the time. For the remainder of the season, he dipped in and out of the first-team, going from senior action to being the top dog for the under-21s. Big things were expected. The following season was even more impressive. He started in
He started in the north London side’s second Premier League game and later scored in his third appearance that season against Swansea City – a big goal that gifted them the victory. Again dipping in and out of the first-team, his form was so impressive that he earned himself a five-year contract and a nomination for the European Golden Boy – losing out to none other than Juventus’s Paul Pogba. Not bad competition to be in.
So what has gone wrong for the German? Since then, his career has just dipped and he hasn’t quite reached the level that was expected of him. Why? Well, for one reason or another – inconsistency and injury. He missed the majority of the 2014/15 season through injury and when he came back, looked like he had put on weight and was given the nickname “chubs,” perhaps harsh but it showed that he perhaps did not have the desire to work and get back to the level that earned him that Golden Boy nomination. He was called up to the Germany under-21s and played his part, hinting that he could get back to that impressive level he previously had reached.
Even despite the fitness concerns, the winger was sent out on loan to Premier League side West Bromwich Albion at the start of the current season – but made just one appearance for the first-team during his time at the club – as a substitute against Chelsea. Arsene Wenger soon recalled him and he has been training with the first-team ever since and playing regularly with the under-21s.
His performance against Newcastle United under-21s was as good as you will ever see Gnabry perform at this level. The 20-year-old gave Ben Kitchen an absolute torrid time that evening and tormented him on the wing before scoring low into the bottom right corner with his left foot. Gnabry’s unbelievable pace and ability to keep the ball close to his feet proved vital and it showed that he still had the skill to compete for a place in the side.
Tony Pulis cited injury issues as to why the German didn’t ‘make it’ at the Baggies but Gnabry has shown no signs of that since coming back to north London.
Gnabry later scored against Swansea City in the under-21s’ 3-1 loss to the Welsh side, burying the ball into the top corner.
The change in fortune for Gnabry looks to have arrived with a change in position. He’s a right-footed and so often right-sided player but since coming back into the side, he has featured from a wide left position, which allows him to run at pace and cut in with skill and use his agility to terrorise defenders. On the right, he was arguably too predictable, he can’t cut in on his left and it may perhaps have been too easy to stop him going down the right.
The encouraging form of the German midfielder looks to come at a vital time. He has plenty of time left on his contract but with the summer transfer window fast approaching, it means that Wenger has options. Does he buy someone new, with the poor form of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain so prevalent in the first-team? Or does he bump Gnabry up and give him the confidence to thrive in the first-team? Wenger loves to promote youngsters, just look at Alex Iwobi’s example. Played the majority of the season in the under-21s and suddenly finds himself starting at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, anything can change with a bit of hard work.
All evidence points towards Gnabry regaining his value and once again becoming one of the best young talents in the country. After all, he’s just 20-years-old still and has time to improve, should he do that, anything is possible for Gnabry.
