Arsenal: Calum Chambers vs the world hardly a fair fight

Arsenal’s defense was completely eviscerated against Manchester City, but it’s hardly fair to pit Calum Chamber against the known world.

Before the match, I claimed that Calum Chambers would prove himself yet again as the defender that Arsenal need to build around to move forward. I don’t regret making that claim, even if Chambers wasn’t able to rescue us against Manchester City.

Chambers was not directly responsible for any of the goals. He was pulled every which way like he was in a taffy stretcher, serving as sole centerback, right back and defensive midfielder at different times, and each time, he was practically on his own.

Far too often, Sokratis left Chambers all alone to fend for himself. Far too often Ainsley Maitland-Niles was stranded too far up the pitch and Chambers had to either cover the right or cover the center, but he couldn’t do both.

Chambers had so much to do in this match that he was bound to fail at times. It was in the 62nd minute that it came back to bite him, as he surrendered possession. But yet again we saw that he was on an island, with nowhere to send the ball.

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So he tried to instigate and it didn’t work. And Bernd Leno had to save him.

But Chambers had other moments when he put in 110% effort to keep out attacking play and, all on his own, against the power of the City attack, I have to count myself impressed. No, this was obviously not the ideal match for him to show his worth, and few will have seen it. Fewer still will appreciate it.

That’s why I’m here to tell you that this was hardly a fair fight. How is it that Sokratis was never in the picture? Why were the late runs into the box never tracked? Why did Chambers have to play two, three positions at once?

I’m not trying to make excuses for him, I just want him to have a fair fight before we go judging him too harshly. And that especially means that I hope Freddie Ljungberg doesn’t hold Chambers too at fault for how this match turned out. He has to stay in the defense, because the alternatives aren’t any better.

This may not be the best time to say it, but keep faith in Chambers. He won’t fix the defense all on his own but he’s definitely capable of being a piece of the puzzle.