Mikel Arteta decided to loan out Folarin Balogun at half-time of Arsenal’s League Cup match against Sunderland
According to reports, Mikel Arteta’s decision to loan out Folarin Balogun was prompted by the striker’s performance for Arsenal against Sunderland in the first half.
Balogun’s inability to track back in the first 45 minutes apparently irritated the manager, who felt the youngster needed to go out on loan to acquire experience.
Balogun accomplished just that, joining Championship club Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season.
If Arteta’s main beef with Balogun is his workrate, then the most recent statements from Chris Wilder can give him some hope.
Balogun had to wait a few games for his first debut in Middlesbrough’s Championship starting line-up, having previously made four substitute appearances.
Balogun has played 96 minutes in those four outings and contributed one assist for a winning goal against Coventry City. He then had the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities from the start against Derby County this weekend.
The Arsenal striker was part of a great Middlesbrough effort that saw them sprint to a 3-1 half-time lead. He had to wait until the 89th minute for his own goal contribution, but it was well worth the wait.
With time running out, Balogun forced a defender to make a mistake, nicking the ball from him in the penalty area.
The attacker then produced a superb backheel flip to Duncan Watmore, who scored from close range. A wonderful assist to reward his own hard effort on the day, which Arteta will undoubtedly appreciate.
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