Arsenal legend Ian Wright has urged the Gunners to pay particular consideration to Atalanta star Ademola Lookman after they journey to Gewiss Stadium for his or her UEFA Champions League opener on Thursday, September 19. Wright heaped reward on the previous Charlton Athletic man, saying he’s delighted to see how far the ahead has come.
Premier League giants Arsenal will start their UEFA Champions League journey with a conflict towards Serie A outfit Atalanta this week. The North Londoners are coming into the sport in excessive spirits, having claimed a 1-0 win over native rivals Tottenham Hotspur of their final Premier League outing. With 10 factors to their title after 4 top-flight matches, Mikel Arteta and Co. are sitting in second place within the Premier League rankings.
Atalanta, in the meantime, has endured a disappointing begin to the 2024-25 season. The Lombardy-based membership started with a 2-0 defeat to Actual Madrid within the UEFA Tremendous Cup however bounced again with a 4-0 win over Lecce within the Serie A opener. The next two matches, nonetheless, had been disappointing, as Atalanta succumbed to consecutive defeats towards Torino and Inter Milan. They obtained the present again on the street final weekend, claiming a 3-2 victory over Fiorentina.
Ian Wright Thinks Ademola Lookman Can Bother Arsenal In UEFA Champions League Conflict
Lookman was one in every of Atalanta’s standout performers as they beat Fiorentina on Sunday, with him chipping in with a pleasant help to Mateo Retegui and scoring the winner in first-half damage time.
Wright, who gained the 1997-98 Premier League title with Arsenal, admitted he was apprehensive about Lookman forward of the Champions League conflict.
Talking on the ‘Wrighty’s Home’ podcast, he mentioned (through TBR Soccer):
“Oh gosh, did you see his first help with the way in which he simply flicked it? So good. It’s actually lovely soccer, I’m so happy for him. Yeah, he worries me.
“However we’ve obtained Ben White on that facet, if he’s going to be on that facet. And you recognize what? I’m happy for him. His journey, the place he’s gone, what he’s doing now, you would see an enormous transfer, you would see a transfer for him.”
He added:
“I’d love him to remain there, he’s been so good at Atalanta. The way in which he’s labored up, all the way in which from Charlton, all the way in which to the place he’s now. You’d consider that Atalanta isn’t his ultimate vacation spot in his thoughts, as nice as it may be for them.
“And it’s not disrespectful, however like he’s obtained a degree of enjoying now the place you possibly can see why folks would say, I might, yeah I might use him.”
Lookman, who was reportedly on Arsenal’s radar, has been at Atalanta for the reason that summer season of 2022. He has to date performed 80 video games for the membership in all competitions, scoring 33 instances and offering 19 assists.
