It is difficult to predict exactly what the future is going to hold for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the latest on the conveyor belt of speedy British wingers to come through the Southampton youth system. We are yet to discover whether he is going to be the next big thing, a key player for both Arsenal and England for years to come, or whether he is going to become yet another young English player whose early potential never really materialised into something more… real. We are yet to even discover which position he is more suited to; out wide, or centrally as a box-to-box, marauding Yaya Toure style player.
At this stage, Chamberlain is most definitely at a fork in his career, with a few repetitive injuries over the last couple of seasons disrupting his development and playing time, accompanied by the arrival of Alexis Sanchez meaning that Arsene Wenger’s solitary speedy winger spot is unmovably occupied. Meanwhile, opportunities in the middle of the pitch – which was increasingly seeming to be where he would be able to cement his place in the side – are also increasingly limited, with Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin almost undroppable, and Jack Wilshere always fighting for a place. It is rare that we can say this in regards to Arsenal, but what may prevent this young player from reaching his full potential is a lack of opportunities in the first team.
He does however, deserve those opportunities. Since joining Arsenal for around £12m four years ago, he has put in excellent performances from the very beginning – just five months after signing, he was man of the match against Manchester United. He is sometimes compared to Theo Walcott, but is younger, stronger, and has a greater footballing intelligence – shown by his ability to play in the middle of midfield, something Walcott could never do. He has a talent for shining in the big games, even when many of his teammates shy away from the occasion – something which has, thankfully, happened less over recent years as the team have matured, but Chamberlain’s ability to lead by example is still incredibly valuable. Whenever he comes on as a substitute, he adds a new dimension to the team, and especially to the style of its attacking play, adding a relentlessness and willingness to fight for every ball, before making a driving run at the defence. He has more to his game than Walcott, who does often seem to rely on pure speed, and ultimately he should become a much better footballer.
Chamberlain has the potential to be one of the team’s most important players, and even now he has the ability to be a regular member of a side bursting with attacking talent. Besides a few injuries – which have not really been anything out of the ordinary for an Arsenal player – what has largely prevented him from making more regular appearances has been Arsene Wenger’s apparent unwillingness to play with two out-and-out wingers on a regular basis, usually preferring to start with one of Ramsey or Cazorla on the right to focus on keeping possession, and every now and then making an incisive pass, while Alexis Sanchez does his impression of a fighting bull on the opposite wing.
With Ramsey’s form wobbling throughout last season and Cazorla not getting any younger, as well as Giroud leading the attack with the pace of a tortoise who’s just returned from collecting his pension, we may see Chamberlain play a much larger role this season in the attempt to speed things up a bit. Even with Alexis, Arsenal have often struggled to play more penetrative attacking football. If Wenger’s willing to mix up his tactics a bit, Chamberlain could be the answer for many years to come.
