Promising start should stand Sunu in good stead for season

It may have been a long time coming, but Arsenal fans are on the verge of seeing the best of Gilles Sunu. The 17 year-old Frenchman joined the Gunners from Châteauroux in the summer of 2007 but last season was a frustrating one for him as he struggled to adapt to English football. He made seven starts for the under-18s without scoring but finally notched his first Arsenal goal for the reserves against Derby in April.

After representing France at the UEFA u-17 European Championships in the summer, Gilles has begun this season with a renewed vigour and determination to win. It was a suprise for many that he was chosen out on the right flank for the opening game of the under-18s season against Everton, but he showed good tactical awareness that day as well as his usual blend of pace and technique. He followed that up with another impressive performance against Wolves where he found the back of the net, before finding the net again on Saturday, this time against Crystal Palace.

With Rhys Murphy and Sanchez Watt impressing up front and the Gunners and Jonas Rasmussen not yet being considered for a starting berth, Gilles has performed admirably and now his target will be to get into the Reserves. That could prove to be a difficult challenge with Simpson, Fonte and Murphy all ahead of him in the pecking order up front and Jack Wilshere and Henri Lansbury capable of occupying positions on the right-wing. Gilles will be hoping for a place in the FA Youth Cup side, though, and the early signs suggest that this could be a highly productive campaign for him. People may have doubted him at first but now he is ready to show what he is made of.