Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson says he is surprised by how badly Willian has struggled since the Brazilian arrived on a free transfer in the summer.

The 32-year-old has not been able to replicate the form he has shown during his time at Chelsea and Merson feels that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta needs to get more out of him:

“Willian was unbelievable at Chelsea last year. For me, he was probably one of the best Chelsea players. He was phenomenal – an outstanding talent. He has gone to Arsenal and he looks lost. They have got to get him performing.”

The Brazilian international started off life at Arsenal with an excellent debut, providing two assists in a 3-0 win over Fulham on the opening day of the season back in September. However, his form has dropped off a cliff since then.

Willian has played nine matches since the game at Craven Cottage but he has not made a single goal contribution in any of them. He was not named in Brazil’s squad during the most recent international break and he made a controversial ‘business’ trip to Dubai, which Arteta says has been dealt with internally. It remains to be seen whether he will start against Leeds tomorrow.