Talbi scored his first Sunderland goal against Chelsea in October, rolling home a stoppage-time winner after coming off the substitutes’ bench.
The Morocco international then followed up that strike with an equally adept finish at Liverpool at the start of December, with his goal paving the way for an impressive 1-1 draw against the reigning Premier League champions.
Talbi was back amongst the goals on Monday, firing home a spectacular long-range strike to seal Sunderland’s 3-0 win over Burnley, and is hoping to keep his scoring run going as the Black Cats look to topple the league leaders in north London.
“We know Arsenal is a big club,” said the winger. “But Liverpool is a big club too and we have shown this season that we can face every team and in the Premier League, everything can happen. So, we will take this game 100 per cent and go full to get the three points there.
“When you’re a kid, you look at these teams and dream about playing them. It’s been hard work, long years of hard working, but now I'm here. I'm really pleased with that.”
Talbi spent a big chunk of the last two months away from Wearside, representing Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations. He was an unused substitute in the fractious final against Senegal, watching on from the sidelines as his Sunderland team-mate, Habib Diarra, lifted the trophy.
Since returning to Wearside, the 20-year-old has been a second-half substitute in the defeat at West Ham and returned to the starting line-up against Burnley, with his direct running and goalscoring threat enabling him to move ahead of his wide-attacking rivals in Regis Le Bris’ pecking order.
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The Black Cats boss likes his players to stick to certain principles, but there will always be scope for individuality, with Talbi’s attacking flair adding some welcome unpredictability to Sunderland’s play.
“I really appreciated his goal [against Burnley],” said the Sunderland boss, whose side climbed back up to eighth in the table when they won on Monday night. “Not only that, but the fact that he tried something difficult.
“Our wingers and offensive players, it is really important to take risks like that from outside the box. We are trying to improve this part of our game.
“It is not the easiest part of the pitch because defences are so compact and if you make a mistake, you might face a counter-attack. But I give my players licence to take risks and the freedom to have a go like that.
“I want to see more shots, and that aspect of the game is getting better and that was a good example. Talbi is gaining more confidence.”
The rate of Talbi’s development has been particularly impressive given that he only boasted 19 senior starts with Club Brugge prior to moving to Wearside in the summer.
When he joined along with Simon Adingra in the summer, it was generally assumed that Adingra would be the player to go straight into the starting side given his extensive Premier League experience with Brighton, while Talbi had to wait for his chance.
Instead, Adingra struggled for game time prior to leaving on loan to Monaco on deadline day, while Talbi has blossomed on the Premier League stage.
“I watched the Premier League when I was growing up,” said Talbi. “The Premier League is the best league in the world. When I was young, I was looking. I never thought I would play here, but now I'm here and I'm really pleased.”
And while taking on Arsenal at the Emirates brings its inevitable challenges, with the Gunners six points clear at the top of the table, Talbi feels Sunderland’s goalless draw with the Gunners at the Stadium of Light in November proves they can cope with Mikel Arteta’s title hopefuls.
“We know the big games are coming,” said Talbi. “We have had to recover good well because [the Burnley match] was a heavy game, but we have a great squad and we know we can face everything.
“It will not be easy. We face probably the best team in the league now, but I think we can do a great job against Arsenal.”