Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over West Brom last weekend served as a perfect warm up for their FA Cup final with Aston Villa on Saturday, as the Gunners look to lift the trophy for the second season running.
Theo Walcott grabbed the headlines with a hat-trick on his first start for over two months, while Jack Wilshere also continued his return from injury with the pick of the goals as he lashed in a half volley from 25-yards.
Both of the England stars impressed on the day, but it may well not be enough to earn them a start at Wembley this weekend, with the pair falling down the pecking order at the Emirates leaving doubts over their futures with the club.
Wilshere’s injury problems have seen him become Arsene Wenger’s fourth choice in the middle of the park, behind the impressive Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey; a situation that has left the 23-year-old frustrated and may well have him considering his future.
Manchester City and Liverpool are both interested in Arsenal star, and may feel they can tempt him away from North London this summer with the promise of regular first team football.
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Selling Wilshere may well be seen as a possibility given the fact he continues to miss a large amount of the season through one injury or another, but in reality it would be a bad move from Wenger to let him leave, and he is very a much a player Arsenal should be intent on keeping hold of.
There’s clearly no doubting Wilshere’s ability as a footballer, and his goal against West Brom epitomised his quality as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. He’s been held in high regard for some time now, and but for the injury problems; he would surely be a regular in the team.
Wilshere is the type of player that when fit would be a welcome asset to any side in the division, and selling him to a title rival and fellow top four club could well prove costly.
He has shown it’s unlikely he will be available on a permanent basis, which is why Arsenal need the likes of Coquelin, Ramsey and Cazorla who quite rightly remain ahead of him in the team. But holding four top class central midfielders should be the minimum for a club like Arsenal, who will once again be battling it out in four competitions again next season.
To have a talent like Wilshere in reserve is not something Arsenal should take for granted and a decision to let him go could well come back to haunt them as he has the ability to flourish in any team.
The midfield has to accept that unless he can prove his fitness over a sustained period, he will have to spend his fair share of time on the bench.
Only when he puts together a long run of games will he be able to demand a place in the starting XI, but for now he needs to concentrate on staying fit and doing his best for the team when called upon.
He’s still only 23, meaning he should have another 10 years at the top level, plenty of time for Arsenal to continue to benefit from his services and another reason they should disregard any offers that may come their way this summer.
How much he features in Saturday’s cup final remains to be seen, but it would be no surprise to see him pop up with another goal or make a vital assist that decides the destination of the trophy.
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