Former Arsenal star Gilberto Silva says that Willian sent a message with his performance against Leicester City, and it was an important to relieve some of the pressure on him.
The Brazil international has not had the easiest transition after swapping Chelsea for Arsenal last summer, despite a great start in the opening game of the Premier League season against Fulham.
After a number of performances that did not quite live up to his old standards, Willian was back on form with a man of the match performance in the 3-1 win against Brendan Rodgers' side at the King Power Stadium.
And Silva says that it was important that he laid down a marker to prove that he still has what it takes to help the club.
"Willian had a good game, it was very important for him because I believe there has been a lot of pressure on him since he’s come to Arsenal," Silva told the Invisible Wall podcast.
"There’s been some criticism on his performances and it’s important for him to feel that he’s able to help the team and that he’s capable.
"The good thing is that I do believe that people in this squad do not really care about what people say outside, because they understand each other, they know each other on the training ground and they understand how hard everybody works in order to get results to help the club.
"Particularly for Willian this is something very important and he’s had a good performance and sent a message for people telling them he didn’t forget how to play football, and just to show that he’s capable, he’s got quality and he’s ready to help the club."
