Arsène Wenger believes Jack Wilshere’s upturn in form is rooted in the midfielder shedding the feeling that he is invincible. Wilshere has started Arsenal’s last seven Premier League matches and he has completed the 90 minutes in each of them.
He was outstanding in last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth – the lone bright spot for his team – and Wenger said the player’s greater awareness of the limitations of his body, in the light of his well-documented fitness issues, had provided the platform to shine. The other factor has been the dedication the 26-year-old has shown to his conditioning work.
“He is much more patient and mature,” Wenger said. “He analyses better. Before, his desire to play was the only thing that mattered. Today, he can analyse better. Is he fit or not fit? He has a lot of prevention [work] to do and he does that religiously now. Before, he was a bit more: ‘My body can take that’ – like we all are when we are 20 years old.”
Wilshere went off with an ankle injury in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Chelsea and it was easy to fear he was set for another lay-off. But he was back at Bournemouth to produce his best performance of the season. Aapart from accepting the ball in tight areas and protecting it at all times, it was encouraging to see his surges away from tacklers.
Wilshere was the captain against Bournemouth – the club for whom he played on loan last season – and his rise from forgotten-man status at Arsenal has been eye-catching. Wenger is determined to tie him down to a heavily incentivised contract to replace the one set to expire in the summer.
Wilshere will be a central figure against Crystal Palace on Saturday – a game for which Danny Welbeck has been ruled out. The forward, who has also had major injuries, faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of his latest problem.
“I see Jack here because he is an Arsenal man,” Wenger said. “Nobody questions his love and commitment for the club. We have to find an agreement that makes him happy and wish that, in the future, he remains fit.”