Arsene Wenger demanding 10 goals and 10 assists from Arsenal starlet Alex Iwobi this season

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called upon Alex Iwobi to find more consistency to his game and contribute 20 goals and assists this season.

With Mesut Ozil ruled out with an injury, Iwobi, 21, impressively filled the creative void in the Gunners' attack on Sunday [1 October], scoring his first goal of the season in the comfortable 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates.

The Nigeria international finished the 2016-17 season with a haul of four goals and eight assists in all competitions and Wenger is hoping the versatile attacker can continue to improve on that return this season.

"I think he is a kind of player who has a good availability," Wenger said on Sunday. "He helps you a lot to get out of pressure when you are in a build-up game and creates spaces. What you want from him is final balls and goals as well. A player like him must score 10 goals and he must find as well between six and 10 assists and that is what I want from him."

Arsenal registered just their fourth league win of the season at home to Chris Hughton's side on Sunday, a win that lifted them into fifth place in the table but still six points adrift of early pace-setters Manchester City and Manchester United.

Iwobi's first goal since January helped the Gunners to their their ninth consecutive victory at home. It also marked the fourth successive game where the north London side have kept a clean sheet, having not conceded a goal since their 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool prior to September's international break.

Nacho Monreal, who scored his side's other goal on Sunday, says that chastening defeat at Anfield acted as a clear wake-up call for his side.

"After Liverpool, we talked because we couldn't play like we did that day," the Spaniard said. "We lost 4-0 and the image of the team and the club was really poor. From there, the team rallied and we started to play more compact and defended well with everyone in the next few games.

"We kept a clean sheet in the next game as well and that was important for us because we know we have top players up front who are going to score goals. If the defenders can help the team with a clean sheet, it is much better for us."