Alex Iwobi knows exactly what he must do to get back into the Arsenal first team.
The 21-year-old faces the tough task of beating Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to a first team spot.
Unsurprisingly, he’s found himself on the bench or out the squad entirely, with Wenger preferring to play his two best players.
Iwobi, though, has been given the odd game, including a surprise start at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
He justified that selection with a strong defensive performance, and knows he needs to repeat that to win his place back.
“The boss always says that for me to earn my spot back, I need to work defensively and add goals and assists to my game, which I’ve been trying to do,” he told Arsenal.com.
“I’ve been working on that, especially in pre-season. It’s something I have to add to my game to improve it in the long run.
“Everyone [helps] really. If Sead or Hector are behind me, they’ll tell me when to go forward, when to come back.
“They speak to me and tell me where to be. Steve Bould has helped me tactically too.”
Iwobi was omitted from the squad that played Red Star Belgrade on Thursday. That could hint that he’s in line for a start against Manchester City on Sunday.
He’s made eight appearances this season, but has only one goal and one assist to his name.
With opportunities limited, he’ll need to be more efficient in the final third to convince Wenger to give him more games.
This is a big season for Iwobi, who’s not only looking to win back a place in the Arsenal team, but also hoping to be starting for Nigeria at this summer’s World Cup.
It was his goal that ensured Nigeria will be in Russia.