Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for £12 million from Southampton this summer but has yet to appear for the Arsenal first team. This could soon be about to change after two influential performances for the England under 21s.
On Friday night he demonstrated the turn of pace that has seen him instantly compared to Theo Walcott but he also showed an array of tricks that Theo often lacks when trying to beat his man. Last night Oxlade-Chamberlain stepped up and made the decisive difference against Israel after coming off the bench at half time. He created 3 goals and won a penalty which was a remarkable effort, albeit at under 21 level. He showed strength, pace and skill but most importantly, a directness that has been rare in our teams in the last few years. In Gervinho, Walcott and now the emerging Chamberlain we have a trio of players whose first thought is to get to the goal as fast as possible, which is essential when we have a number of players who have a natural tendency to maintain possession rather than force the play.
Another pleasing aspect of the match was the continued good form of Henri Lansbury who many Arsenal fans will be glad to see has only left the club on loan. He is a very dynamic midfielder and could be a great asset to the club in the future.
After adding experience to the squad in the transfer window, Chamberlain’s performance, Van Persie’s four goals for the Nertherlands and Ramsey’s winner for Wales all suggest our squad could finally hit form in September, hopefully leaving August as our lowest ebb.