'Is A Blend Of Jay Jay Okocha And Edgar Davids' Ozil Shower Praises At Iwobi

Published on: 28 September 2016

What do you get if you cross the natural flair and skill of Jay Jay Okocha with the grit, passing ability and positional sense of Dutch legend Edgar Davids?

The answer, according to Mesut Ozil, is his Arsenal team-mate Alex Iwobi.

Aged just 20, winger Iwobi has enjoyed an impressive start to the season on the Gunners' left, creating three goals in five games for Arsene Wenger's side after giving the Frenchman an extra attacking option.

Okocha, formally of Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton, is Iwobi's uncle so it is perhaps not too surprising Ozil sees plenty of family resemblance in his young team-mate.

But he also believes Iwobi has a strong defensive instinct and ability on the ball, which draws parallels with former Ajax, Juventus and Tottenham star Davids.

'Alex reminds me of a mixture of him (Okocha) and Edgar Davids,' Ozil told the Gunners' matchday programme.

'He's really strong on the ball, also defensively, but he's good in front of goal too.

'He's developing really well and if he continues the way he's been playing for the whole season, he will enhance his game.

'The manager knows exactly how good he is and I wish him all the best.'

Both Iwobi and Ozil are set to start when Arsenal host Basle in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Arsenal players will be in the unusual situation of wearing their yellow away kit at the Emirates, after UEFA stepped in to order a last-minute change due to a kit clash.

Basle's blue and red-halved home kit has been deemed too similar to Arsenal's traditional red, while the Swiss side's white away strip has also been deemed too similar, meaning the Gunners have been forced into a change.

 

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