Ivory Coast international Gervinho is beginning to make his mark in England since joining Arsenal this summer.
His good start for the Gunners, and his performances in Africa and France have all played a part in Gervinho receiving a nomination for the BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
During the first half of 2011, Gervinho played a key role as Lille won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double for the first time since 1946.
Gervinho scored a goal in the Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice, and finished the season with a total of 15 league goals and 10 assists.
The Ivorian playmaker’s fine form attracted the interest of many top clubs around Europe, and he was signed by Arsenal in July for a reported fee of over 10 million pounds.
Gervinho’s Arsenal career got off to a stuttering start, after he was sent off in his debut for slapping Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton. While it could be argued that a majority of football fans want to slap Joey Barton, the act saw Gervinho heavily criticized and subsequently banned for three games.
Gervinho scored his first league goal in a 4-3 loss at Blackburn Rovers, then burst onto the Premier League scene with a sublime display against Stoke City at the end of October.
The Ivory Coast international scored the opening goal against the Potters, and then assisted on two Robin van Persie strikes to round out a 3-1 Premier League win. The official Opta Statistics showed that Gervinho achieved the rare feat of 100% passing accuracy against Stoke, with all 22 of his passes finding a teammate.
The ability to penetrate off the dribble and create problems in the final third is making Gervinho a real threat as he adjusts to the pace of the English game, and to date he has recorded two goals and five assists in his nine Premier League appearances.
In addition to his impressive displays at club level, Gervinho has made an impact on the international scene during 2011. Gervinho scored three goals and was a key figure for the Ivory Coast as they qualified for the African Cup of Nations with 100% winning record.
Gervinho has made a positive impact both on and off the field at the Emirates Stadium, and has drawn praise from Gunners teammate Theo Walcott for his attitude and performance.
“He’s eager, he wants to perform and he is getting better every game now. I think the game against West Brom (a 3-0 Arsenal win) a couple of weeks ago was his best game for us,” Walcott told the official Arsenal website. “He’s got bags of confidence at the moment, all the lads are encouraging him and it’s showing in his performances.”
If he wins the award , Gervinho would be the second Arsenal player to achieve the accolade, after Emmanuel Adebayor won the award in 2007.
Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan won the award last year, and this year’s shortlist will see Gervinho face some stiff competition.
The other footballers on the shortlist are Dede Ayew (Marseille and Ghana), Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi Makhachkala and Cameroon), Seydou Keita (Barcelona and Mali) and Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast).
Fans can vote for the BBC African Footballer of the Year Award at the following link;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specialreports/bbc_african_footballer_of_the_year_2011.shtml
During the first half of 2011, Gervinho played a key role as Lille won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double for the first time since 1946.
Gervinho scored a goal in the Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice, and finished the season with a total of 15 league goals and 10 assists.
The Ivorian playmaker’s fine form attracted the interest of many top clubs around Europe, and he was signed by Arsenal in July for a reported fee of over 10 million pounds.
Gervinho’s Arsenal career got off to a stuttering start, after he was sent off in his debut for slapping Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton. While it could be argued that a majority of football fans want to slap Joey Barton, the act saw Gervinho heavily criticized and subsequently banned for three games.
Gervinho scored his first league goal in a 4-3 loss at Blackburn Rovers, then burst onto the Premier League scene with a sublime display against Stoke City at the end of October.
The Ivory Coast international scored the opening goal against the Potters, and then assisted on two Robin van Persie strikes to round out a 3-1 Premier League win. The official Opta Statistics showed that Gervinho achieved the rare feat of 100% passing accuracy against Stoke, with all 22 of his passes finding a teammate.
The ability to penetrate off the dribble and create problems in the final third is making Gervinho a real threat as he adjusts to the pace of the English game, and to date he has recorded two goals and five assists in his nine Premier League appearances.
In addition to his impressive displays at club level, Gervinho has made an impact on the international scene during 2011. Gervinho scored three goals and was a key figure for the Ivory Coast as they qualified for the African Cup of Nations with 100% winning record.
Gervinho has made a positive impact both on and off the field at the Emirates Stadium, and has drawn praise from Gunners teammate Theo Walcott for his attitude and performance.
“He’s eager, he wants to perform and he is getting better every game now. I think the game against West Brom (a 3-0 Arsenal win) a couple of weeks ago was his best game for us,” Walcott told the official Arsenal website. “He’s got bags of confidence at the moment, all the lads are encouraging him and it’s showing in his performances.”
If he wins the award , Gervinho would be the second Arsenal player to achieve the accolade, after Emmanuel Adebayor won the award in 2007.
Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan won the award last year, and this year’s shortlist will see Gervinho face some stiff competition.
The other footballers on the shortlist are Dede Ayew (Marseille and Ghana), Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi Makhachkala and Cameroon), Seydou Keita (Barcelona and Mali) and Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast).
Fans can vote for the BBC African Footballer of the Year Award at the following link;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specialreports/bbc_african_footballer_of_the_year_2011.shtml
