What looked like an easy three points on paper for Arsenal when they travelled to Old Trafford on Sunday descended into a farce of epic proportions when Manchester United denied the Gunners a rare double in the Premier League – something they haven’t achieved against the Red Devils in a decade now. Although the scoreline read 3-2 in favour of Louis van Gaal’s side, it flattered Arsene Wenger’s men.
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The keywords here is ‘men’. Long has the financially constrained Wenger played the so-called ‘kids’ and got away with it, clawing their way to a top four finish every year and ensuring that the extra Champions League revenue filled up the club’s coffers. But this season was arguably Wenger’s best chance to go all out for the Premier League title and he has bottled it. Big time!
In spite of playing a team with at least eight senior players, the Gunners lost to “a bunch of academy kids”. It is almost laughable that what was Wenger’s Achilles heel for so many years turned out to be United’s biggest strength on matchday.
Wenger made a mistake in naming Theo Walcott in the starting lineup. But his biggest mistake was deploying him as a centre-forward and moving Danny Welbeck out to the right. In all, Walcott gave away possession 10 times, his completed passes didn’t even touch double figures and he was practically invisible, hiding between the two centre-backs and making his presence felt whenever the visitors lost the ball – one of those turnovers even leading to Marcus Rashford’s goal.
So it begs the question; why didn’t Welbeck (or even Olivier Giroud) start as the centre-forward? And what more does Joel Campbell need to do to get some games under his belt?
Campbell has impressed when given the chance
Not so long ago, Arsenal fans were worried when Alexis Sanchez pulled his hamstring and was sidelined for a good part of two months. It was almost inevitable considering he has been playing non-stop football ever since his final season with Barcelona. The 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America saw to that.
But Alexis’ loss was Campbell’s gain. Wenger shifted Walcott to the left and deployed the Costa Rican forward on the right.
Campbell thrived. He fit seamlessly into the starting lineup and immediately built an understanding with right-back Hector Bellerin. He ensured he tracked back when the Gunners lost the ball and wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work of making tackles to win the ball back.
Campbell didn’t start his first Premier League game until he played Swansea City away. While the Gunners struggled to get going, Campbell was easily Arsenal’s best player on the pitch as most of the attack went through him. His hard work eventually paid off when he managed to score in an eventually comfortable 3-0 win. Although Mesut Ozil had two assists, there was no question that Campbell was the undisputed man of the match.
He was rewarded with 90 minutes in a must-win game when Arsenal travelled to Olympiakos – one of many clubs Campbell was loaned to while his work permit came through. Olivier Giroud grabbed a hat-trick but the highlight of the game was Campbell’s keen eye and composure to assist the Frenchman with a through-ball under pressure that beat five Olympiakos defenders inside the box.
The 4-0 loss at Southampton was probably the only blip in an otherwise stellar season considering the meagre minutes he has been reduced to playing. But for some reason, Wenger has persisted with other players who have been consistently poor.
Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain have been huge disappointments
Granted, both Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have had their problems with injuries. Walcott was the club’s top goal scorer not a few seasons ago before a stomach surgery and an ACL injury saw his form sink to new lows with the occasional flashes of brilliance such as the FA Cup final last season against an awful Aston Villa side.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been another homegrown player who is yet to really deliver at Arsenal. While Wenger is convinced his future lies in midfield, his predisposition to give away possession in crucial areas of the pitch has seen the Gunners punished.
On the wing, he is a flat-track bully, using pace when he is given the space to do so but ineffective against organised defences – just like Walcott. Now into his fifth season with the north London club, Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored a paltry 14 goals, a poor return for such a highly rated attacking player. His injury may only just harm his chances of making the England squad for Euro 2016.
Will Campbell get his chance?
While Alexis is out of form, there is no denying his effort on the pitch. But lesser minutes might help him finish the season strong. With Chile playing yet another Copa America this year, his long-term fitness will be a concern but one cannot expect Wenger to rest him and free up the spot on the left. That leaves only the right forward slot up for grabs.
Campbell’s impressive performances do not warrant such a lengthy spell on the bench. And if he constantly finds himself pushed to the periphery of the Arsenal lineup, he may soon look elsewhere for a chance to play regular first-team football.
The 23-year-old forward is in his formative years and needs the confidence of the manager and game time to prove his worth. He has done enough to impress the fans. What more does he need to do to convince Wenger?
