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When Will Calum Chambers Get His Chance At Arsenal?
Another Arsenal game has gone by without a start for Calum Chambers, and the opportunities for the Englishman to impress seem to be fading away. The back line for the Gunners has rotated to include Gabriel Paulista and Hector Bellerin, but Chambers has seldom been given a chance by Arsene Wenger.
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Arsenal got themselves back on track, trouncing Leicester City at the King Power stadium. However, they did end up conceding two goals. Once they were up 4-1 it was clear the game was beyond The Foxes, but that is no excuse for conceding late in a game. Hector Bellerin took the right back spot once again, while Per Mertesacker came in for the suspended Gabriel for his return after a chest infection.
What happens over the course of the season, when legs are tired and the back four needs rotating? With Chambers in the side, Arsenal technically have three right backs and four center backs, which seems a good number for a Premier League defense that is also competing in Europe. Mathieu Debuchy seems like the second-choice now that Bellerin has proven to be so effective. But there is no established pair of starting center backs just yet.
One could assume that Mertesacker and Koscielny would retain their spots for Arsenal, but that would be premature. Mertesacker has spent time out already this campaign, and he looked vulnerable in the 2014-15 season on multiple occasions against the big teams. Koscielny seems good as ever, so not starting him would be foolish unless he absolutely needed a rest. His partner is unclear, however – Gabriel made a foolish mistake against Chelsea last weekend but up until that point he looked ready to battle with The Blues.
Is Chambers a physically gifted right back, or a center back ready to be molded by a coach and an older player? It is unclear. The Englishman has not played many perfect games at either for Arsenal since arriving from Southampton. His inexperience and youth was visible on multiple occasions against wily attackers. While it is useful to be proficient in multiple positions, Chambers must make his decision at some point.
From the perspective of Arsene Wenger this is a difficult decision. Krystian Bielik and Isaac Hayden both look like solid defenders or defensive midfielders, but they are still young players. On the other hand, Debuchy may not be at Arsenal for too much longer, which would leave the right back position with just one player.
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If Wenger thinks about it like that, Chambers should continue his development on the right side of defense and interchange with Hector Bellerin. Bellerin is around the same age as Chambers, though, so perhaps neither will end up getting the sufficient first team opportunities they need to develop into top-class defenders. In that case, perhaps center back is better for the 20-year-old. The aging Per Mertesacker will eventually vacate his first-team place for a new player, and Chambers could come into that position alongside Gabriel and Koscielny. The choice is his.
No matter where he plays permanently, he must make a commitment to it. Too many young players have found their careers stagnated when they try to play in multiple roles from a young age. He has to step up to the plate and take advantage of the aging defenders in the Arsenal team. Wenger is a manager who gives a chance to every one of his players, and Calum Chambers must make it count.
Next: Chambers is learning despite his mistakes