Although we saw glimpses of Carlos Vela at his best, 2010/11 would prove to be a season of frustration for the Mexican who struggled to make an impression on Arsène Wenger’s side.

A sublime finish to cap a fine Arsenal move against Bolton in September and a typically classy double in the rout of Braga suggested he was ready to fulfill his huge potential. Carlos had the backing of his manager, who declared that the striker was mature enough to lead the attack, but the emergence of Marouane Chamakh meant that starts were hard to come by.

Wenger sought a temporary move for Carlos to get him games and he joined West Brom in January to continue his development and gain further first-team experience in the Premier League.

The striker scored two vital equalisers to help steer Roy Hodgson’s side to safety, netting a last-gasp leveller against local rivals Wolves and then snatching a late point in an away trip to Stoke the following week.

Arsenal fans will be hoping Carlos can get among the goals in the red of Arsenal next season.

CARLOS VELA 2010/11 SEASON STATSCompetition Appearances Goals

League 4 1

League while on loan at West Brom 8 2

FA Cup 1 0

Carling Cup 4 0

Champions League

4 2

Totals 21 5

FINEST MOMENT

Carlos came off the bench to grab a sublime double and complete the rout against Braga in the Champions League. A typical dinked finish gave him his first and Cesc Fabregas laid on a second as Arsenal romped to a 6-0 victory.

Arsenal.com