Alex Iwobi: Key Arsene Wenger prediction Nigerian fulfilled with goal vs Hull City

Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi was the hero for Fulham in yesterday’s Premier League match against Hull City, scoring the only goal as the Cottagers claimed their first win of the season.

The 30-year-old was fielded on the left wing, a detour from the deeper role Alvaro Arbeloa has played him all season, and the change had an effect.

Iwobi scored in the 33rd minute at Craven Cottage, curling what is now a signature move into the back of the net, beating Konstantinos Tzolakis, who had previously kept three clean sheets in the English top flight this season.

After the game, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown revealed a prediction from a private conversation with Arsene Wenger about Alex Iwobi.

Has Alex Iwobi fulfilled Arsene Wenger’s prediction?

The Super Eagles centurion came through the Arsenal Hale End academy, making his debut as a 19-year-old under Arsene Wenger.

Keown revealed that at the time, he spoke with the French tactician, and they discussed how far Iwobi would go to become a top player.

After the game against Hull City yesterday, Keown brought up the conversation with Alex Iwobi.

“Years ago, when you were at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger said to me, ‘this player is going to be a top player in the 10 role’, and I noticed to day that you started out wide,” Keown told the Nigerian on BBC MOTD.

“But when you come centrally, you come alive.”

Iwobi, responding to the 60-year-old, maintained that the assertion of his preferred position wasn’t wrong.

“Working with the legend Arsene Wenger, he always told me to drift inside and to get involved in play.

“I feel more comfortable and natural when I’m receivign the ball on the half-turn.

“The manager knows that, but I don’t want to give it away as teams are analysing our style, but it’s something that me and Josh King do.

“We love to get in the pockets and get in the half-turn. It’s something I love doing and I’ll say it’s a strong point in my game,” Iwobi concluded.

Does Alex Iwobi like to play centrally?

Iwobi’s ride to stardom hasn’t been a smooth journey. He burst onto the scene at Arsenal as a high-flying winger. Fleet-footed and pacy, combining technique and intricate passes in tiny pockets of space.

However, his versatility came long before that. At the Hale End academy, the former Everton midfielder revealed he played across several positions, including right-back, a position he’d eventually play in the blue side of Merseyside, although in a slightly advanced role.

His move to Everton saw him become a more stable central option, a feature he’ll always thank Frank Lampard for, and he soared under Marco Silva playing centrally, although it was slightly deeper than he’d prefer.

That change yielded fruit for the Super Eagles as well, as coach Eric Chelle switched to a midfield diamond featuring three players, but with Iwobi in the half-space on the left side.

The one-time FA Cup winner worked wonders in that position, recording over 60 line-breaking passes in the AFCON 2025 tournament, with the next player in that key stat unable to reach half of Iwobi’s numbers in Morocco.

While Keown maintains that the best role for Iwobi is in the number 10 position, the player only reiterated that he likes to play centrally, which could mean being higher up the pitch or slightly deeper, where he takes the ball from the centre-backs to create chances.

In terms of goals and assists, Iwobi’s best individual season came playing on the wings, but his love for a central role means he prefers creating chances rather than getting on the end of them.