Gervinho sometimes rushes his finishing, says Arsenal boss Wenger

Arsene Wenger believes Gervinho has been guilty of rushing his finishes when presented with goal-scoring chances – but hopes his goal against Reading will fill the striker with confidence.

Gervinho’s close-range finish set the Gunners on their way to a 4-1 victory over the Royals at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with the Ivorian also notching up two assists.

The 25-year-old has managed seven goals in 21 appearances in all competitions this season but Wenger feels the forward is yet to live up to his potential.

“He finishes well now, much better than when he arrived and he will get better and better. But his finishing is linked with his psychology,” Wenger told Arsenal’s website.

“To be honest he is not clinical, however when he is completely relaxed he is quite good.

“He rushes his finishing because when he arrives in front of the goal he wants to get rid of [the ball]. But you can gain experience and calmness.

“He wants to do well. He is a hard worker and, physically, you cannot fault his effort. Even when he had a bad period, he has always tried very hard.

“However, for me the big problem in the last two years has been the Africa Cup of Nations. Every time he came back it took him a while to recover.

“But I thought when he came on at Swansea last week he was lively. At Bayern he was lively and he scored the goal on Saturday which gave him confidence again.”