Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth was a significant one for the Gunners. It was their first win in four Premier League matches, a run stretching back to the beginning of January. It was also a significant match for creative midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored his first ever goal away from the Emirates Stadium.
The win meant Arsenal kept themselves within touching distance of title rivals Leicester City before the two meet this weekend.
Having not scored in their previous three league games, Chamberlain’s goal, along with Mesut Özil's half-volley, were important strikes for the north Londoners, and if they are to clinch the title this season, Arséne Wenger will need The Ox to start delivering on a more consistent basis.
More starts, more goals
The 22-year-old's goal on Sunday was only his first of the season, and only his 15th start in all competitions. For someone who has been talked about as an exciting prospect since signing in 2011, those numbers don't make for good reading.
He had a brilliant start to the season, scoring an explosive winner in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea. He was rewarded with a start in the first league game of the season against West Ham, but a poor result in that game saw the Englishman drop to the bench the week after.
Since the opening day, the Ox has only made seven starts in the league, and obviously this limited time on pitch has meant he has been unable to build up an impressive goal scoring record. Coupled with no goals in other competitions, the numbers don’t look good.
The only way to improve them is for him to show Arsene Wenger that he can consistently be someone that can decide big games, in the same way Alexis Sánchez has done many a time this season.
He could learn from teammate Aaron Ramsey, who hit a purple patch during the 2013/14 season. The Welshman scored 16 Premier League goals that season, and by taking and creating his own chances, Ramsey become a main stay in the first eleven for the season.
Become more demanding
One of the reasons Alexis Sanchez has been a success at Arsenal is the trust his teammates have in him. They know that they can give him the ball constantly, whether he’s surrounded by opponents or wide open, and he is easily capable of creating a chance or a goal.
This was evident in Sunday’s game. On Match of the Day 2, it was highlighted that 54% of Arsenal’s possession went down the Chileans, compared to on 26% on the Ox’s wing.
This shows that the other players see Sanchez as a threat a lot more of the time.
Having been with Arsenal for four years now, it's time for this to change. Oxlade Chamberlain needs to demand the ball more to give himself more of a chance to show what he can do, and give off the same confidence his Chilean counterpart does.
Holding down a position
On numerous occasions, Wenger has talked about how he sees Oxlade Chamberlain’s as a central midfielder in the future.
“He has the attributes to play in central midfield, he has that important quality – a little surge to get out of pressure,’ he told the Arsenal website. “One of the things to get out of pressure is to have a little dribble to get away from the guy who closes you down.' Before finishing, '...and nobody has that more than Oxlade-Chamberlain.”
One of the 22-year-old’s most memorable performances for the gunners was an influential display from central midfield in a Champions League tie with AC Milan in 2012.
The Ox himself has also expressed a desire to move into the middle, and he clearly has the right attributes: strength, explosive pace and dribbling ability, but for this to happen he needs to become a main stay in the starting XI
So as his club head towards a huge game against Leicester City, the time for Alex Oxlade Chamberlain to step up and silence his critics has come.
His performance at the weekend must not be a one off. Arsenal have a realistic chance of winning the league, and Oxlade Chamberlain can play a huge role during the run in.