Why this Arsenal star must step up to the plate next season

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived at Arsenal in 2011 as a coveted 17 year old. The Gunners won the race to sign ‘The Ox’ after he impressed for Southampton in League One, scoring 9 goals in 34 games.

Chamberlain followed in the footsteps of Theo Walcott and later Calum Chambers. And Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott shared similar starts to their Arsenal careers.

In their first four seasons both players failed to hold down a consistent first team spot with their best season tally totalling 25 league appearances. Both struggled to find the net, only showing glimpses of their talent.

Walcott went on to become a first team regular and added goals to his game but injuries have hindered him in recent years. Oxlade-Chamberlain will turn 22 in August which is roughly the age in which Walcott kicked on and became a valuable first team member.

The worry is that Chamberlain has had his fair share of injury problems too and it’s certainly slowed down his development.

To his own admission, The Ox needs to add a lot more to his overall game. Last season, he totalled 3 goals and 7 assists in 37 games.

Statistics can be deceptive though and he performed well and has the ability to cause problems for any defender. Chamberlain can beat a man with ease with his direct dribbling style, quick feet and pace. He possesses a wonderful technique and can play in a variety of positions whether it be left or right wing or central midfield.

However, goals and assists can set apart the very good players from the top level players. Chamberlain does occasionally give away sloppy passes and he should look to develop his movement from wide positions in order to get into more goal scoring positions.

Next season is critical for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He’ll be at an age where more is expected from him and I believe he will improve further and feature more in the first team.

But the big question is: can he stay injury free?