Demanding Unai Emery pushes Arsenal stars to the limits, says Alex Iwobi

Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi has lauded Unai Emery for his leadership traits and training methods that have helped him and his teammates improve in their performances this season.

Iwobi has become a regular fixture in the Gunners’ set-up with a goal and four assists this season.

His recent showing came against Liverpool on Saturday when he came off the bench to set up Alexandre Lacazette for Arsenal’s equaliser that extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches across all competitions.

Ahead of Thursday’s Uefa Europa League game against Sporting CP, Iwobi has discussed how Emery has helped the team as they look to secure a knockout stage berth at the Emirates Stadium.

“It’s basically a family and we’re all fighting for each other, not just for the manager and the players, but also for the fans,” Iwobi told club website.

“It’s one big family and we’re always going to fight for each other. We’re putting in an extra shift, not just in matches, but in training as well.

“Unai’s very intense in training and he’s demanding because he knows how good we are. He always wants us to be at 100 per cent, giving our best. It’s not just him, though. We know what we expect from each other, so we’re also trying to get the best out of each other in training.

“He’s always encouraging me to be positive with the ball, always encouraging me to work hard off the ball for my team as well. It’s not just for me, he’s helped out my other team-mates as well and has helped every player individually.

“He’s always talking to them and if it’s not him then it’s his assistants, the other coaches talking to me, showing me different clips, analysing my game, analysing opponents as well. His staff are always helping me. He’s given me that confidence in games and in training to go out and express myself.”

Arsenal are yet to lose a match since their back-to-back Premier League loss to Manchester City and Chelsea in August. They are currently placed fifth in the English top-flight with 23 points from 11 games.