Outstanding Ox set for breakthrough season

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been brimming with potential ever since Arsenal prised him from Southampton for a fee believed to be in the region of £12million. Since joining The Gunners at 18 years old, the player has shown glimmers of brilliance but has been more of a peripheral figure due to a series of injuries. Fully rehabilitated and back in pre-season action with Arsene Wenger’s first team, now could be the time for The Ox to finally make his mark and become an essential figure in the Arsenal squad. Revitalised Oxlade-Chamberlain has been relishing the opportunity to play football again after missing a large chunk of the back end of the 2015/16 campaign due to a knee injury. The player was forced to sit out Arsenal’s failed title challenge and was subsequently unable to play with England at Euro 2016. The 22-year-old has returned to the fold rejuvenated and has already shown some excellent form in the build-up to the return of the Premier League. The player, who has scored two outstanding goals including a world-class solo effort (see video above) in pre-season friendlies already, is likely to take up a starting berth on the right wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation when Arsenal entertain Liverpool in their first fixture of the new campaign. With players such as Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, and Aaron Ramsey expected to be eased into action slightly later after their exertions in international competitions over the summer, the start of the campaign is a prime opportunity for players like Oxlade-Chamberlain to stake their claims for regular places on the Arsenal team sheet. via GIPHY Competition for places There will certainly be even more competition for places this season with certain key players returning, so it is pivotal that the winger gets off to a strong start. If Oxlade-Chamberlain impresses on the right, Wenger may consider playing Ramsey more centrally. The two positions in the double pivot may be fought for even more fiercely, though, as new signings Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny will be competing against returnees Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, and Francis Coquelin for places. All these players will get game time one way or another, as the club once again prepare to juggle congested fixture lists with the myriad of tournaments in which they hope to progress. The dream scenario for Oxlade-Chamberlain will be to make his name as a regular starter in the Premier League so he can develop at a steady pace. Wenger may be worried to use the player too much, however, with the England international’s unfortunate series of injury troubles since joining the club being of concern to the manager. When the squad is at full strength, the Frenchman may decide to mainly use the Ox as an impact sub, as his pace and trickery would be a handful for tired defences. That is why it is of key importance for the player to muscle his way to the top of the list of candidates who can operate on the right wing. Set for a rise to prominence? If Oxlade-Chamberlain can force his way into Wenger’s thinking and nail down a regular starting berth in the Premier League, and of course, steer clear of injury, this season could be his time to move up to the next level. Wenger has already stated that he believes the 22-year-old has the ability to go on to great things. After Arsenal’s pre-season game in California, Wenger spoke to the press and stated that “it’s a key season for him, maybe he doesn’t believe himself how good he can be, and that is the final step for him.” To date, Oxlade-Chamberlain has only scored seven league goals for Arsenal (see video above) in 100 appearances. His figures for Southampton (9 goals in 36 games) and England (5 goals in 24) are slightly better and show that the winger can provide a goal threat. At the Emirates, the youngster hasn’t had a significant run of games to gain momentum and hit top form, and that is probably the reason for his lack of end product. Analysing the performance data compiled by Fantasy Football Scout, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s appearances for the club last season left a lot to be desired. He had an average of 15.7 touches in the final third compared to Ozil’s 45.7 and went 52.5 minutes per chance created compared to the German’s 21.9. When comparing Oxlade-Chamberlain to Theo Walcott, though, the Ox got the better of his compatriot with chances created (0.9 to 0.6), successful passes in the final third (6.4 to 4.4), and successful crosses (0.3 to 0.1). Although these stats are none too impressive, the fact that Oxlade-Chamberlain managed to better Walcott, who is a similar style of player, is important. And it may also be fair to assume that this is what Wenger was referring to in the interviews - The Ox just needs to develop more confidence. via GIPHY If Oxlade-Chamberlain can avoid any more setbacks and lock down a consistent role in the team, this could be the year that he becomes a star. [su_button url="https://www.ticketgum.com/arsenal-tickets" background="#F00107" size="20" wide="yes" radius="0"]Get Arsenal Tickets[/su_button]