Article by Dean Carr of SBAT.com.
The 2012/13 season was supposed to herald a new dawn for Arsenal Football Club, one where the club built around a select core of British players heading into the future. Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramey and Jack Wilshere all penned new long-term deals together in December 2012, whilst Theo Walcott ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck both joined in the summer of 2014 to add to the British contingent on North London, but how crucial have these players become? Take a look as we individually dissect each player’s hopes and prospects heading into the future.
Calum Chambers
Impressed majorly in the early weeks of his Arsenal career, earning himself an England call-up in the process after seamlessly adapting to life at the club. However, the sudden incredible emergence of Hector Bellerin saw Chambers’ playing time limited, whilst the arrival of Gabriel from Villarreal in the January transfer window of 2015 pushed the 21-year-old down to fourth choice in the central defensive pecking order. It seems Arsene Wenger still remains slightly unsure of what to do with Chambers and where his best position will be long-term, having also used him as a defensive midfielder in the 2015/16 campaign. A loan move back to Southampton has been touted as a possibility, but with age and time very much on his side, Chambers retains every chance of being a key player at the Emirates for many years to come.
Kieran Gibbs
With 208 appearances to his name at just the age of 26, full-back Gibbs can consider himself unfortunate not to have more after losing his place in the starting lineup through little fault of his own in recent years. The sudden upturn in form from Spaniard Nacho Monreal has forced Gibbs to settle for a place on the bench for much of the season, making only 15 Premier League appearances the during the 2015/16 campaign – the lowest of his career since 2010/11 when he was just a 21-year-old. Had it not been for the Gunners’ injury misfortunes during the mid-way point of the campaign his appearance tally could’ve been lower, with Gibbs often coming from the bench to occupy a left-wing berth, notably when he scored as a substitute during the 1-1 draw with Tottenham.
Carl Jenkinson
Signed from Charlton in 2011, Jenkinson has never truly established himself as a regular in the Arsenal team, first playing second-fiddle to Bacary Sagna for the early years of his career. After the Frenchman departed for Manchester City, both Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers arrived as reinforcements, forcing Jenkinson to go out on loan to West Ham to find first-team football. Despite a successful first season at Upton Park, the one-cap England international suffered an ACL injury which cut his season short during his second stay with the east Londoners. A popular member of the Arsenal squad, Jenkinson looks set to continue his rehabilitation at the club this summer, although a first-team place looks unlikely.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Remarkably still only 22-year-old, the Ox arrived at Arsenal with the reputation of being one of the most exciting young talents in English football upon completing a £15m move from Southampton in 2011. Although far from a flop, Oxlade-Chamberlain has thus far failed to hit the heights once predicted of him in the first five years of his Arsenal career, failing to establish a regular place in the starting eleven. With tremendous pace, power and technical ability, he remains a player more than capable of having an impact on the upcoming season for the Gunners, although there have been a number of clubs showing an interest in capturing his services for the upcoming 2016/17 season. If he can stay clear of injuries and maintain a consistent level of fitness, the performances and rewards will surely follow in succession with it, but as shown, that’s easier said than done.
Aaron Ramsey
A player who can amaze and frustrate in equal measure, Ramsey remains a man whose performances tend to side with his confidence levels of the time. The increased competition for a central midfield role with the arrival of Granit Xhaka left a question mark above Ramsey’s head over his role at the club for this upcoming season, particularly with Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere hoping to start the campaign fit again. However, the decision to take the number eight shirt – vacated by Mikel Arteta – gives a strong indication that the Welshman will remain at Arsenal come next term. Arguably Arsenal’s most capable goalscoring midfielder, the former Cardiff City man remains an extremely valuable member of the Gunners squad but will have to prove his worth for a place in the starting lineup.
Theo Walcott
Celebrated ten years with the club this season but still leaves plenty to be desired after failing to ever to manage to perform at a consistent elite level. Carried his form from the end of the 2014/15 season – during which he netted in the FA Cup final – into the early weeks of the campaign, establishing himself as a starter in his favoured central striker role. But, injuries and a loss of form soon followed, culminating in Walcott missing out on England’s Euro 2016 squad – the second successive major tournament he has missed out on, after injury ended his World Cup dreams in 2014. The low of missing out with England on top of falling well down the pecking order may force the 27-year-old to move on this summer and seek pastures new to revive a career that looks to be heading on the downward trajectory.
Danny Welbeck
One of the most frustrating entities at Arsenal – through almost no fault of his own – Danny Welbeck has to be one of the most unfortunate players in the Premier League. After missing out on the FA Cup final last year, Welbeck had to wait until February of this year to make his first appearance of the campaign, doing so in famous style with the winner in Arsenal’s 2-1 home win over Leicester City. After having a real positive impact on the team following his return, injury struck again leaving the former Manchester United man out of contention for Roy Hodgson’s 23-man England squad, with it looking likely that he would start on the left hand side of a 4-3-3. Coming back from yet another serious injury will be a huge test of Welbeck’s character and one which could define the rest of his Arsenal career.
Jack Wilshere
The most talented product to come from the Arsenal academy for many a year, Wilshere missed out on yet another season due to injury, begging the question whether he will ever be able to stay fit or not through his career. Making just 17 league appearances from 78 since the opening of the 2014/15 Premier League season, his injury record has severely hampered any chance or aspirations the 24-year-old had of making significant progress in the Arsenal first-team. As a result, he is the one left playing catch up and needs to get a solid European Championship and pre-season under his belt before getting ready to dive into next season with the hope of maintaining a regular place in the Gunners midfield. No longer a young prospect, this season really is the time for Wilshere to step up and prove his worth, or else possibly face a premature exit from the club he grew up supporting as a boy.
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