Arsenal coach Unai Emery wants Alex Iwobi to continue pushing himself after making an immeasurable improvement since Arsene Wenger's departure.

The 22-year-old attacker was a fairly prominent figure in Wenger's squad before the Frenchman left at the end of last season, but he split opinion among fans.

While his pace and hints of trickery went down well, Iwobi was generally considered to be erratic and unimpressive with his final pass.

But, since Emery took over in pre-season, Iwobi has registered five assists in all competitions – including the pass for Alexandre Lacazette's equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Saturday – and the coach wants him to continue his recent growth.

"Iwobi can impact hard in the match," Emery told reporters. "First he started on the right, then I thought he was better left. His impact in some moments in the match, like our goal, is important.

"His energy is important, so is his quality. He can improve. He can do better. He scored against Chelsea, I want him to be nearer the box, having chances to score more.

"He can. He is very young. He is improving. But also he has the ambition to do more."