Benik Afobe was on top form for Sheffield Wednesday yesterday at the Madejski Stadium.
Arsenal had a bad day at the office yesterday – what with Liverpool winning 5-1 at Anfield, Chelsea going top of the Premier League and then Arsene Wenger taking a tumble at Lime Street Station it was a bad day all round.
Although it wasn’t for all their players – as one of their loaned out stars had a day to remember.
20-year-old striker Benik Afobe has had it tough recently – with serious knee injuries curtailing his development after he impressed at Huddersfield on loan as a teenager.
Since then he has failed to find form on other loan deals – and of course the debilitating injury problems have not helped.
But he returned to action toward the end of last year – and is clearly a cut above playing under-21 football.
Yesterday he returned to one of his former loan sides Reading for his new team Sheffield Wednesday – where he will stay until the end of the season.
His pace and strength looked back to its norm – and he ran the Reading defence ragged for the majority of the game.
He earned a penalty which was duly despatched by Chris Maguire – and also got Alex Pearce sent off in the process of bursting through on goal.
But he then scored his first goal for the club – chipping in from close range after Alex McCarthy had spilled for Reading.
It was an excellent performance from the starlet – and one that breeds hope for his future in the game.
Maybe he even has a future at Arsenal after all.
image: © Niki Odolphie
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