Albert Sambi Lokonga and Arsenal will each be hoping for successful 2022/23 seasons with the Gunners chasing the Premier League title and Lokonga seeking regular first-team minutes. The Belgian midfielder sealed a deadline day loan to Crystal Palace after struggling to make a significant impact in his first 18 months at Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta has used a consistent XI for much of the campaign thus far with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka the usual midfield duo deployed. One of his first marquee appearances of this season in red came at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the absence of Partey and until February 2023 it was the Gunners only league defeat.
Lokonga has faced criticism for some of his performances following his move from Anderlecht in 2021. The 23-year-old faced a pivotal 45 minutes against Manchester City in the FA Cup, but once again, following a lack of consistent game time, he struggled to keep up with the speed of the game.
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The decision was then made for him to spend the remainder of the season out on loan with Crystal Palace acquiring his services. Following his move, Arteta was asked about the decision to sanction a temporary exit for Lokonga where he explained it was best for both parties. "Sambi needed time and games to develop the talent that he has," he said. "I think in Palace we’ve found the right club with the right coaching staff as well, so I believe that will work out."
Lokonga has made three appearances for the Eagles since the deal was completed and while looking bright, Palace are without a win in those games. Despite a challenging spell in England, Lokonga has remained defiant with the midfielder revealing what Arteta said to him before his departure and the coaching similarities between the two former Arsenal legends he has now played under.
“He [Arteta] said to me that it was the right choice for me," Lokonga revealed in an interview with talkSPORT. Because he knew the manager, he knew his assistants, so he said to me that’s a good move and hopefully he said to me I will get some game time on the pitch.”
“I think they’re both looking to create free men on the pitch. This is something that you can see quickly, so I will say that’s the main thing of Arteta and Patrick Vieira.”
Consistent minutes will be high up on the agenda for Lokonga in the remaining months of the season and he has already set his ambitions for the following season upon his return to Arsenal. He said: “My goals for the moment are to find myself back to be the Sambi that I have been when I arrived at Arsenal.
“These are my goals and hopefully I can bring something different to the team and I hope I can bring something that they don’t have in the team right now.”
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