Wenger Will Finally Unleash His New Striker

Arsenal scored two goals against Bolton on Tuesday night, and neither of them were scored by Robin van Persie. That would be because the Dutch striker was not in the squad for the sides Carling Cup fourth round tie, but it was also because Park Chu-Young was given another chance by Arsene Wenger to show the fans what he is capable of.

The South Korean will be forced to leave Arsenal after only two seasons at the club due to his country’s compulsory military service requirement, but Wenger’s latest comments on his summer signing suggest that Premier League appearances will come sooner rather than later. Wenger spoke after Park scored the winner at the Emirates (the goals can be seen here) – a goal and performance which really impressed the Arsenal manager. He said:

“For me I am very pleased with his performance. He had a very, very good game. He has shown intelligence in his link play with others. The quality of his movement was exceptional and his finishing is absolutely fantastic. He has shown tonight that he is a very, very good player. He is ready to play in league games, yes.”

The game against Bolton was Park’s second first team appearance in an Arsenal shirt, and Wenger felt that it was a much improved performance to his debut against Shrewsbury Town in the previous round of the Cup:

“Compared to the player who played in the first match [against Shrewsbury] where he was a bit inhibited, tonight I felt he played with freedom and has showed what a good player he is.”

Wenger had explained previously why he had been cautious about throwing Park straight into Premier League action, citing examples of Robert Pires and Thierry Henry as players who needed time to adapt the England. The Arsenal manager wants to avoid immediate and harsh judgement on a player whom he believes to be very talented and capable of being a regular and important member of the Arsenal team.