Arsenal vs West Brom: Calum Chambers will pay dividends

Arsenal went with Calum Chambers against Crystal Palace, and while the results may not look conclusive, the rewards will come with patience.

Arsenal’s defense is a major bugaboo this season, as they just can’t seem to stop opposing teams from scoring. Even in matches that they conclusively put away, they are surrendering goals and they are doing so based on fundamental flaws. Too many individual mistakes, too many positional mishaps, too many avoidable problems.

With Nacho Monreal out injured, Arsene Wenger did what I have been begging him to do – he turned to Calum Chambers.

The 22-year-old Englishman was slotted in on the right side of a returning back three and the qualities of this young man were apparent from the start. He is a menace in the air, and he dominated the aerial game whenever there was a chance to do so.

But he also got forward remarkably well, making himself useful with his prior experience as a midfielder and a fullback. He was able to drive the ball up from deep, and he was able to do so confidently, without the usual risk attached of dropping possession.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, obviously. The Gunners did cough up two goals to Crystal Palace to make it much nervier than it had to be. The scoreline does not shout “defensive solution found” but the early pieces are in play for that exact shout to be heard in the coming matches.

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The trick is sticking with him. And, despite what we have seen this year, that means leaving Monreal out. For as consistent as he has been, he still has the instincts of a fullback, which has started haunting the club lately, and he is certainly not part of the long term of the club. Make no mistake about it, it is never too early to think about long term.

And, if you can make that long-term start sooner rather than later, why not? Chambers showed all the instincts you’d want him to show. A bit of rust, sure, but he hasn’t had consistent game time since last season. It’s time to fix that and let him become who he can become. Don’t stop a young player from building momentum.

The benefits of reverting to a veteran do not outweigh creating roadblocks for young, ready players.

Next: Arsenal vs West Brom Predicted XI

West Brom creates another fantastic chance for Chambers to build on Palace. It’s crucial that faith is kept in him, which is always a bit question, as are most selection issues with Arsene Wenger.

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