Takehiro Tomiyasu is confident he can translate his form for Japan into winning his starting berth back at Arsenal.
The defender has lost his place to Ben White at right-back but the club’s long-awaited return to the Champions League next week will place a greater strain on Mikel Arteta’s squad.
The Gunners travel to Everton on Sunday afternoon before welcoming PSV Eindhoven to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, their first appearance in Europe’s elite competition since 2017.
Tomiyasu proved impressive during his first year in north London following a £17m move from Bologna in the summer of 2021 but a combination of White’s form at right-back and a knee injury limited him to only six Premier League starts last season.
Jurrien Timber’s injury opened the door somewhat but Tomiyasu was sent off against Crystal Palace on his first start this time out.
Still, Tomiyasu was back on form as Japan thrashed Germany 4-1 and believes he can take that performance back to club level.
“I’d like to say that, but I gained a lot of confidence from the way I played in these two international matches,” he said.
“My days at Arsenal are really demanding, so if you ask me if I’m going to regain my confidence completely, I can’t say 100 per cent yes.
“I really feel like I’m doing well at Arsenal. I just need to be confident when I am there.
“Of course, there were times when I lost confidence, honestly, I thought about a lot of things.”
