Arsenal fans have been reacting on social media to a clip of Ainsley Maitland-Niles scoring a stunning goal in training.
What’s the story?
In the clip, the 23-year-old is seen curling a beautiful shot with the outside of his boot into the far corner (Arsenal as per @Iokmmvideos)
The Englishman has been on the periphery of the Arsenal first team for the past year or so.
He started off last campaign in the starting XI but ended up spending most of his time on the bench.
Maitland-Niles was subsequently packed out on loan to West Bromwich Albion, where he could play in his preferred midfield role.
And, despite the Baggies’ relegation to the Championship, the “fantastic” ace impressed under Sam Allardyce.
Arsenal fans call for Maitland-Niles to start against Chelsea
Last Friday was a bit of a wake-up call for the Gunners.
The loss at Brentford opened many supporters’ eyes to how poor the current squad is, especially at right-back.
Calum Chambers struggled badly against the Bees, while Hector Bellerin is hunting for a move away.
Arsenal desperately need an exciting right-back in the shape of Maitland-Niles.
The Englishman has shown his quality at full-back in the past, regardless of his positional preference. Maitland-Niles’ composure and recovery pace make him the ideal candidate to deal with Chelsea’s searing pace in attack when the sides meet on Sunday.
Here’s how some Arsenal fans on Twitter reacted to that training-ground goal amid calls to get him back in the team:
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