14 September 2023 , 20:32
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Takehiro Tomiyasu has admitted that he needs to be more confident once he returns to Arsenal following in the international break.
Tomiyasu, 24, made a storming start to life at the Emirates after completing a transfer from Bologna back in the summer of 2021, but the Japanese international was usurped at right-back by Ben White and suffered an injury-hit campaign last term.
The defender admitted back in July that he had lost his confidence after falling behind White in the Arsenal pecking order. But after impressing for Japan in their wins against Germany and Turkey, Tomiyasu is confident those issues are behind him.
Speaking after the 4-2 win over Turkey on Tuesday, Tomiyasu told Football Zone : "I had to convince myself, or rather, I needed to give myself confidence. In that sense, I felt like I needed to regain my confidence. I wondered if it has become a problem.
"But at Arsenal it’s different, so if you ask me if I can just do that at Arsenal, that’s a different story. At Arsenal, too, I need to do my best to secure a spot in the squad."
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Although Tomiyasu started the season behind new signing Jurrien Timber at right-back, he has an opportunity to reclaim his spot in the Arsenal team after Timber sustained a serious knee injury on his Premier League debut.
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Takehiro Tomiyasu wants to re-establish himself at Arsenal this season (Arsenal FC)Tomiyasu has his sights set on re-establishing himself under Mikel Arteta ahead of the next round of international fixtures in October, but he is aware that he has to build on his international performances once he returns to London.
He added: "I’d like to say that, but I gained a lot of confidence from the way I played in these two international matches. 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."
Arsenal resume their domestic campaign with a tricky trip to Everton on Sunday. The Gunners will then mark their return to the Champions League after a multi-year absence by hosting PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates on Wednesday.