ARSENAL midfielder Joe Willock has matched a four-year club European record following his dazzling display against Dundalk.
The England midfielder, 21, once again took his chance in the Europa League having found his game time limited in the Premier League.
Joe Willock got on the score sheet in the 4-2 win against Dundalk on ThursdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Willock has been restricted to just two top-flight matches, while he has appeared in five games in Europe’s second-string competition.
And he got his third goal of the tournament as Arsenal beat Irish side Dundalk 4-2 at the Aviva Stadium.
In doing so he added to his three assists in the Europa League, meaning he now has as many goal contributions in 11 games this term as he did in 44 outings last season.
According to Opta, Willock is the first Arsenal player to both score three goals and provide three assists in Europe since the 2016-17 campaign.
No other Gunners squad member has achieved the feat since Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez both did so in the Champions League four years ago.
Willock – who was involved in a car crash before the 0-0 draw against Leeds last month – is pushing for his third Premier League start of the term.
Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has praised Willock for his performances in the Europa League, as he claimed Arsenal can win the trophy.
The BT Sport pundit said: “Arsenal have a genuine chance of winning this competition.
“(Folarin) Balogun came on and had a good impact. We’ve seen Willock have a terrific impact in this competition and (Bukayo) Saka before.
“It’s brilliant for these young kids from the academy to come here and play football at this level and this will mean a ton to them.
“A couple more came on today and showed real quality moments.”
Arsenal legend Martin Keown stated last month that Willock may need to go out on loan in January if he isn’t getting regular football.
⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates
Arsenal comes out on top in the match against Dundalk
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
