Arsenal: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Or Alex Iwobi?

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was phenomenal in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Reading, but should he or Alex Iwobi start at the weekend against Sunderland?

Tuesday night’s performance in the EFL Cup fourth round brought many questions and few answers. Can Carl Jenkinson push Hector Bellerin? Is Kieran Gibbs establishing himself as a key member of the squad with Nacho Monreal’s struggles? Do Arsenal have yet another crop of wonderfully  talented young players?

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However, while all these questions will be answered throughout the remainder of the season, the most immediate debate to come out of the 2-0 win over Reading is regarding Arsene Wenger’s team selection against Sunderland this Saturday lunchtime.

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For the past few weeks, Alex Iwobi has nailed down the third starting attacking midfield spot behind Alexis Sanchez. However, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is pushing him hard, and his two goals on Tuesday night, reinforced by his overall play, has led to the possibility that Iwobi could be replaced in the starting lineup. hWhen asked about the ramifications of his performance, Chamberlain himself alluded to the hope that he will get more regular starts in the league:

"“Yeah, I hope so. Any game that I play in is an opportunity for me to show what I can do. And whether it’s the league, the Champions League, the League Cup or the FA Cup – it’s all important. First and foremost, it’s all game time and it’s good to get your confidence up and to try and play the way you want to play and it’s still a very good standard of football. Reading are a good team, so for me personally, any chance I get to play is an opportunity for me to show and hopefully that form will carry over into the league and be rewarded with more starts.”"

So, who should start against Sunderland on Saturday? Iwobi surprisingly played the full 90 minutes against Reading, while Oxlade-Chamberlain was subbed at 80 minutes and is perhaps slightly fresher having only played 16 minutes against Middlesbrough, where Iwobi played 67. However, the effects are likely to be minimal given the only slight difference in playing time.both have impressed in recent weeks suggesting that they are good enough to contribute when in the starting lineup.

Both have impressed in recent weeks suggesting that they are good enough to contribute when in the starting lineup, but their playing styles are different. While Iwobi likes to use his movement off the ball to find and exploit space, slipping in between the lines, receiving the ball to feet and looking for the incisive pass, Chamberlain is far more direct in his dribbling, commits defenders but is not nearly as tidy in possession.

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Against Sunderland, Arsenal will once again be facing a side that will look to defend deep and counter. Consequently, space will be tight and opportunities scarce. I feel it would be more beneficial to start Iwobi come Saturday, simply because of the opposition, but make no mistake, Chamberlain is pushing him hard, and that is only a positive.