On-loan Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun has taken to social media on Sunday, to unveil footage of himself bagging a gorgeous assist in Middlesbrough’s win over Derby County.

Boro welcomed Wayne Rooney’s relegation-battling Rams to the Riverside Stadium yesterday afternoon, hopeful of keeping alive a solid recent spell of form to kick on towards a playoff-clinching finish in the Championship table.

And, when all was said and done, emerge with all three points is precisely what the day’s hosts managed.

A dominant display ultimately culminated in Middlesbrough racking up a hefty four goals, en route to a 4-1 rout in North Yorkshire.

And the aforementioned Balogun, on loan with Chris Wilder’s men for the remainder of the campaign, proved crucial to such efforts, bagging his 2nd assist in the space of the last fortnight to tee up Duncan Watmore’s 4th.

After winning back possession in the Derby penalty area, Arsenal’s up-and-coming youngster pulled the ball across the face of goal courtesy of the most clever of flicks, with footage of the moment of magic showcased in the footage below:

Gunners return

Balogun’s efforts in England’s 2nd-tier are no doubt being closely monitored by those back in north London.

This comes with the 20-year-old, after running riot at youth level over the opening half of the campaign, pushing hard for a regular spot in Arsenal’s first-team setup in the 2022/23 campaign.

With the January departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang expected to be followed by the free agent exits of both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah this summer, it goes without saying that Mikel Arteta’s frontline will require reinforcements ahead of next season.

And though Balogun is unlikely to carve out a first-choice role for himself, backup duties could well be up for grabs, with moments of quality similar to that on display on Saturday therefore potentially crucial when it comes to the young striker’s Gunners future.

 

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