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Despite the fact he’s not a regular in the team this season, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Willian is a player that is always working his hardest in training.

The Brazilian attacker is on a huge £192,000-a-week (Spotrac) contract at the Emirates Stadium, but he’s struggled for minutes during his first season with the Gunners.

He’s scored zero goals and made three assists in 24 appearances for the club.

Willian, 32, has failed to show the kind of form yet at Arsenal that he did at London rivals Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles.

The speed machine has been tried in both wide positions this campaign, but he’s slipped down the pecking order and is having to be patient waiting for his opportunities.

Arteta has explained that the ex-Chelsea winger is reaching top standards in training, even if that’s not translating on the pitch.

“What he’s doing at the moment, the way he’s training, the way he’s working, the way he’s willing to give everything to the team is what I demand,” Arteta said, as quoted by the club’s official website.

“Whether he’s more successful or less successful in the game is another matter, it will come with the quality that he has but this is what I demand to every player.

“A full commitment and to put the passion and everything they have in every training session and when they have the opportunity to play and so far Willian has done that every single day.”

TBR’s View:

Willian would be guilty of inconsistent patches at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea, but is someone that stood out for an amazing work-rate and individual moments of brilliance.

But he’s yet to show any of that in an Arsenal shirt.

His signing on a free transfer has to be classed as a failure right now due to the big wages they spent to sign him in the summer, as a lot of time he’s watching from the bench and he’s been restricted to mainly cameos in the past couple of months.

With the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Martin Odegaard and Nicolas Pepe fighting for the attacking positions, it’s difficult to see Willian breaking back into the XI anytime soon.