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Joel Campbell Will Sink Or Swim At Arsenal In Next Month
By Josh Sippie
With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott both due out for three matches, Aaron Ramsey a few weeks out and Serge Gnabry wasting away at West Brom, Arsenal is short staffed. And it is at the most unlikely of positions. Right wing. Arsene Wenger has pointed via Arsenal.com that he currently has two options to fill Arsenal’s right flank: Alex Iwobi and Joel Campbell.
This is it. This is the moment that our dear Joel Campbell has been waiting for at Arsenal. With just four substitute Premier League appearances to his name, the Costa Rican is now facing the prospect of starting for multiple matches in a row in the EPL for Arsenal. This may be a dream come true or a dream crusher. We are about to find out.
Joel Campbell has made a few appearances for Arsenal in the League Cup and in the Champion’s League as well. None of his appearances have showed us anything more than what we already knew about Joel Campbell. He is raw, he works hard, and he still has yet to prove that he has what it takes to stick in the toughest league in the world.
Related: What Pokemon Would Joel Campbell Be?
As ESPNFC points out, he must make the most of this opportunity. But even more extreme than that, this may be one of his last opportunities. Arsene Wenger is all about giving his players every chance in the world to succeed but if you are constantly not making the grade, even Wenger will seek a replacement after awhile. That’s the way the real world works.
I have been backing Joel Campbell to succeed since I knew who he was. Every game I predict to be his breakout game. I have been wrong every game. Eventually that belief starts to falter. But then memories of his Villareal performance against Real Madrid spring up. In case you did not witness the match, have a highlight or two from Campbell (get past the first 1:30, then the highlights really kick in)
Performing against Real Madrid is kind of a big deal. Campbell looked composed and confident on the ball. His pace was evident and he even showed a good degree of strength.
And then there was the World Cup. In case proving himself against competition like Real Madrid was not enough, Joel Campbell went ahead and showed up international teams. There are no weak teams at the World Cup. Everyone is there for a reason. So was Joel Campbell:
The quality is there. There is no denying that. Joel Campbell has so many qualities that Arsenal is trying to dig up. Perhaps the key to unlocking it is confidence. Campbell was brimming with confidence at the World Cup and he had a pretty quality campaign against Villareal. This elongated period where he will be seeing significant game time for Arsenal may be enough to give him the confidence to perform in the EPL.
From there, once he knows he can do it, there’s no turning back, he is an effective player.
Wenger is fantastic about getting the best out of his players. Joel Campbell has been one of the hardest nuts to crack but Wenger can do it.
Next: 10 Worst Signings Under Arsene Wenger