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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Pre-Season Performances Suggest He Is Finally Ready
- Updated: August 1, 2016
Pre-season is an opportunity for players to lay down a marker, and the situation at Arsenal is no different. Transfer speculation enshrouds the club, but those already on the books will be eager to remind manager Arsene Wenger of their capabilities before the campaign kicks off.
The Gunners have only played three friendlies at this relatively early stage, but one man has already made a particularly strong impression: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
There’s nothing new about that. Oxlade-Chamberlain typically fares well in pre-season, flattering to deceive before inconsistency and injury take hold once the competitive action gets underway. Wenger has named the former Southampton man in his starting XI for Arsenal’s opening league fixture in two out of the last three seasons. However, he has tended to find it difficult to retain his place across the course of the campaign.
There is particular onus on the 22-year-old midfielder to impress in 2016/17. Last season was nothing short of disastrous for Oxlade-Chamberlain. It began on that fateful opening day, when he carelessly conceded possession to gift West Ham United their second goal in 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium. His season effectively ended in February, when he was selected for the Champions League round-of-16 home tie against Barcelona.
He was, in some respects, a surprising choice. Joel Campbell had been in good form on the right-hand side of the Arsenal midfield, while Oxlade-Chamberlain had done little to suggest he was ready to start a game of that magnitude. The fact he was picked was an indication of Wenger’s deep-rooted belief in the player.
Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go to plan. Oxlade-Chamberlain was injured in an incident that saw a heavy touch take him straight into the path of the onrushing Javier Mascherano. His knee buckled, and he was forced to spend the rest of the campaign on the sidelines.
That effectively knocked him out of contention for Roy Hodgson’s England squad for Euro 2016 too. With little form or fitness to speak of, Oxlade-Chamberlain did not even make the preliminary squad for the tournament—this despite playing a constant part in qualification.
That goes some way toward explaining why he’s set about Arsenal’s pre-season tour in such a driven fashion. In the 2-1 victory over the MLS All-Stars on Thursday, …
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