Alex Iwobi wasn’t at his free-flowing best throughout in a frustrating afternoon for the 20-year-old.

His decision-making is one weakness in his game that has been heavily criticised at times especially against bigger sides. Choosing to dribble instead of pass or picking the wrong option altogether means there are frequent groans whenever he is on the ball in dangerous areas.

Against Hull, he tried but was largely unsuccessful trying to influence in the final third.

This was typified by his take-on in the 9th minute.

Having beaten Alfred N’Doye in a one-on-one, he should’ve kept running forward and looked for teammates creating space near him. Instead of holding up possession, Lazar Markovic swiftly intercepted the danger and Hull were inches away from breaking the deadlock within seconds.

iwobi mark
As shown by this screenshot, Iwobi being dispossessed just inside the Hull half meant a counter-attack saw the visitors push forward dangerously, and they could’ve easily scored from Markovic’s blistering run forward

It is moments like these which stem from players losing possession cheaply high up the pitch. Usually composed once he gets going, it’d be hard to criticise Iwobi too heavily on this occasion. Despite this, these are instances that need ironing out of his game.

His composure proved a pivotal part of Sánchez’s first goal, where he combined well with Özil on the edge of the box, placing a perfectly-weighted pass into the German’s path.

After a goalmouth scramble, the Chilean bundled home a scrappy, dubious finish but it was a deserved lead before half-time.

Iwobi’s decision-making was once again met with groans in the second-half.

Free and unmarked on the left, Alexis spotted his run goalwards and released the ball towards him. Advancing into the box, there were three teammates in support and his attempted pass was a poor one – cut out by Tom Huddlestone near the penalty spot.

As shown by the picture below, Iwobi should’ve showed more composure on the ball to work an opportunity. Again, Markovic created a goalscoring chance from the resulting counter and Niasse came close to an equaliser.

iwobi hul1
As you can see from this screenshot, Iwobi could’ve opted to dribble in the gap between the defender and six-yard box, as opposed to forcing a pass with two players still trying to create a passing option

An isolated figure for sustained periods as Hull went in search of an equaliser, he didn’t offer much defensively and it was unsurprising to see him replaced late on.

Iwobi (L) in action, battling for possession in an aerial duel against Hull City
Alex Iwobi vies with Hull City’s Egyptian midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady (Picture source: Glyn Kirk / AFP / Getty Images)

Iwobi will be hoping for better performances in the weeks ahead as there is fierce competition for starting places now.