Troy Deeney has suggested to talkSPORT that there is too much expectation on Arsenal winger Willian.
The English striker, who plays for Watford in the Championship, believes that Willian is diverting attention from the disappointing performances of his Arsenal teammate Nicolas Pepe.
Willian, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder and joined Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer of 2020 after leaving Chelsea, has provided three assists in 13 Premier League matches and has played thrice in the Europa League so far this season, according to WhoScored.
Winger Pepe has scored two goals in 11 Premier League games and has scored three goals and provided three assists in six Europa League matches for the Gunners so far this campaign, according to WhoScored.
Deeney told talkSPORT: “I think everyone loses confidence at some point. Everyone will say, ‘he [Willian] hasn’t moved far’, because it’s Arsenal and Chelsea, they’re both in London, but it’s a new environment with different people.
“When he was at Chelsea was he the main man? Probably not. Was there a lot of expectation? Probably not. Now he’s gone in there and they’re expecting him to deliver a mentality that he may not be able to do.
“What’s happened is he’s started taking the kicking that Pepe deserves. Pepe has been there longer than him; there was a lot of money spent on him and he hasn’t really delivered over the course of the time.
“If you’re going to spend £70m-plus, you expect to have done a background search to understand the guy’s temperament. How long do we give it?”
Expectations on Willian
Willian was a star at Chelsea, and won the Premier League title twice and the UEFA Europa League once with the Blues.
There will be expectations on the Brazil international at Arsenal, given the career he has had and the huge salary he is on. According to The Daily Mail, the attacker earns £220,000 per week.
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