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Arsenal: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Return Offers Glimmer Of Title Hope
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to play a part in Arsenal’s festive fixtures. His return brings a glimmer of title hope at such a crucial time of the year.
It has not been a time of great success for Arsenal of late. After seemingly solving the issues that Santi Cazorla’s absence caused with the pairing of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin in central midfield, a pairing that dominated the likes of West Ham and Bournemouth, Arsene Wenger’s side then suffered their worst week of the season.
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After the 3-1 win over Stoke City earlier in December, the Gunners sat top of the table, admittedly only for 24 hours, and there was significant talk of their title chances. Now, just a little over a week later, after two successive defeats in which they held a lead early in both games, they now sit nine points behind Chelsea and the same old mentality questions are hanging over the side.
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As such, a quick, effective and loud response is needed. Thankfully, as a recent article here at Pain in the Arsenal by Tom Van Oosterhout pointed out, they have a kind run of upcoming fixtures in which they can begin to rebuild the shattered momentum of the past week. The festive period, as it is every year, is packed to the rafters. By January 3rd, Arsenal will have played another three Premier League games, all in the space of eight days.
As such, a healthy and deep squad is a necessity. One area that has been significantly blessed has been in wide areas. While there is no star player in the squad, there is an established trio that have all performed well when needed. However, after being subbed on late in the 2-1 loss to Manchester City on Sunday, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a key member of this trio, left soon after with a hamstring issue that was expected to keep him on the sidelines for some time.
Thankfully, that is not the case. After undergoing scans, Chamberlain has suffered little damage and could be set to return as soon as the Boxing Day fixture against West Bromwich Albion. Having him available is a huge benefit as Arsenal try to recoup some of the lost ground from consecutive losses.
The side looked lethargic and leggy against City in the second half, lacking the same verve and vibrancy that has defined their game so far this season. Wenger will need to rotate his squad, bring in fresh legs and rest some weary ones. He cannot do that without having the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain available for selection.
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While the young winger is not a truly key player on the same level as a Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez, the ability to rotate that he provides Wenger is invaluable. In being able to extend the sharpness of his players late into the season, Wenger can master a title challenge. Chamberlain is, during such a crucial time in which rest cannot come at the cost of necessary wins, a huge benefit to have.