Former Arsenal man Albert Sambi Lokonga promises Hamburg fans ‘the best is yet to come’ | OneFootball

After scoring the opening goal in his first Bundesliga start over the weekend, former Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga is ready for more. The 25-year-old wishes to me more than just a temporary replacement for his former Arsenal colleague Fabio Vieira, for whom he deputized in the 4-0 win over Mainz 05.

Hamburg head coach Merlin Polzin praised Lokonga for filling in almost perfectly for the suspended Vieira. The possibility of the two Gunners working together in a midfield double-six set-up may be some way off, but Polzin may be prepared to find some place for Lokonga in the starting XI.

“Sambi definitely succeeded in his task,” Polzin remarked at the post-match press conference. “He did well both on and off the ball. The drive towards goal and making the right decisions in the final third is precisely what we need.“

The player himself answered questions from journalists in the mixed zone on Sunday night. When asked whether or not he entertained the notion of working alongside his friend Vieira, Lokonga smiled widely and answered “Of course we can play together“.

“Prior to this game, I hadn’t played from the start in a long time,” Lokonga said of his own performance. “Now I’ve played 60 minutes and I can promise that I’ll keep getting better and better.“

GGFN | Peter Weis