Park looks to find footing at Arsenal

Korean fails to impress in League Cup matchup


South Korea national team captain Park Chu-young made his much-anticipated debut in English football, but failed to make an impact.

Park, who joined Arsenal from AS Monaco, played 71 minutes in the team’s 3-1 victory against Shrewsbury in Tuesday’s League Cup third-round tie.

Facing the League Two side, manager Arsene Wenger deployed Park as one of two strikers up front along with French striker Marouane Chamakh.

But the former Monaco striker seemed unable to keep up with the physical style of English football and to link up with his teammates.

Park was sluggish throughout much of the game, and barely touched the ball before being substituted by Japanese teenager Ryo Miyaichi in the second half.

And while Park was struggling to find his rhythm, the third-tier team took the lead on a header by James Collins in the 16th minute. Arsenal leveled the score thanks to Kieran Gibbs’s header in the 33rd minute. And after the break, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun scored to help Arsenal move on to the next round.

Since joining Arsenal in August, the 26-year-old striker has not been featured in the Premier League or the Champions League.

With his rather unimpressive performance on Tuesday, he may be left on the sidelines much longer.

The French manager, however, noted earlier that he was confident the Korean international would become a key player for the club.

“Park is good in every area. He is good in the air, good technically, he is mobile and that’s why he is an adaptable striker who can play up front behind the striker,” Wenger told the club’s official website. “That’s why we went for him.”

But time is limited for the Korean international. Arsenal is currently near the bottom of the table, and Wenger won’t give Park much more time to prove himself.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)