Arsenal’s January signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan put in a superb three assist display at The Emirates on Saturday as his new club romped to an impressive 5-1 victory over a shellshocked Everton side.
The 28-year-old attacking midfielder certainly seemed to be enjoying himself on his home debut for the Gunners, and afterwards his manager Arsene Wenger revealed that he believes it is the Armenia international’s dedication to his craft that allows him to put in these type of devastating displays when he said:
“I met Mkhitaryan before, before he came here, because I always liked his game. He’s a player completely focused on football, dedicated totally to the game.
“He comes from a country where you need special character to become a great football player, so you have to really love it, and that’s why he looks happy to play football, because he just loves it.”
Mkhitaryan moved to Arsenal as part of the swap deal that saw Chile international Alexis Sanchez move to Old Trafford earlier this month.
The former Borussia Dortmund star struggled to produce his best form during his time with United, with many observers believing that he felt stifled by Jose Mourinho’s ultra-pragmatic approach.
Many now believe that Mkhitaryan will be able flourish under the more attack minded approach of Wenger, and judging by his display this weekend, there may well be some validity to this argument.
Critics of course will point out that facing mid-table teams at home is not how the success of his Arsenal career will be ultimately judged however.
