Arsenal: Why Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Should Be Starting at Right Wing

Ars ène Wenger has made it a habit in recent seasons of defending out-of-sorts winger Andrei Arshavin, pointing to the little Russian's statistics as evidence against the media's claims of inefficiency.

To the considerable mind boasted by Le Prof, who at last count had command of more languages than C-3PO (OK, I digress), those numbers meant Arshavin deserved consistent playing time.

You can have your stats, Monsieur Wenger. I'll go with what I see with my two eyes. And after washing them out after Sunday's 1-2 reverse at home to Manchester United, they're a tad scratchy and dry, but nevertheless good to, as they say, go.

A cursory note ahead of my plunge: this will not be a rallying against the French manager of my favorite club: that topic has already been well-covered in spurts this season (ie. after every loss, only to mysteriously disappear after the next win).

Let's wait until the end of the season to cast our stones toward M. Wenger, shall we?

That doesn't mean I wasn't—and I think 99 percent of Arsenal fans would join me here (yes, even you, Piers Morgan, however much I loathe the very sight of you puffing out your chest on Fox Soccer's pre-match coverage Sunday)—looking for the nearest object to throw at my television when I saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's face darken with the news (and Van Persie looking murderous at the decision nearby) he was to be replaced by Arshavin in the 74th minute in Sunday's match.

That was just three minutes removed from the teenage winger's breathtaking run down the left flank, in which he had found his way through the attacking third before cutting in centrally, which the Dutchman mirrored perfectly with his own run back across Oxlade-Chamberlain's path.

The winger then found Van Persie with a diagonal through ball in behind the United defense, and the Dutchman made no mistake after missing a sitter minutes earlier, and levelled the proceedings at 1-1.

It was undoubtedly the most impressive attack Arsenal had mounted all night (and many of the others, which came few and far between, were in large part thanks to the Ox, as he's affectionately known among my fellow Gooners).

Just those afore-mentioned minutes removed from providing the most decisive contribution from an Arsenal attacking player up to that point, Wenger decided to cart him off. The boss would defend his act after the match, telling Sky Sports 1 in an interview picked up by ESPN Soccernet:

"[Oxlade-Chamberlain] started to stretch his calf and he had given a lot, he is not used to that intensity," said Wenger.

"I can understand that the fans are upset about the substitution, especially when it doesn't work, but [Oxlade-Chamberlain] had started to fatigue. He was sick in the week. Arshavin is captain of the Russia national team.

"You have an 18-year-old kid making his first Premier League start and a player who's captain of his country and they are querying the substitution? Let's be serious.

"I've been a manager for 30 years and have made 50,000 substitutions. I do not have to justify every decision I make to you (the media). I stand up for it," he added.

While the next time Wenger talks to the media is not the hottest topic among Vegas bookmakers, he did have a point.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has made nine appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season, and he has only once gone the full 90 minutes (a 3-1 defeat away to Olympiakos in the Champions League).

The argument that he didn't have the legs would normally seem logical and sound—I don't know how many of those previous times he was subbed off, or came on as a sub, had to do with his fitness level—but today I certainly don't buy it.

Now, whether the young Englishman was playing under the threat of muscle damage is another topic entirely.

If that was the case, then I have no qualms with Wenger trying to protect his player from injury—but I didn't see any noticeable ill effects from him either on that run or in the short time he played after it.

Simply put, Oxlade-Chamberlain was Arsenal's best attacking option on the night.

Whether he was doing his work on the left wing or the right, he was able  to produce chances, with two excellent opportunities carved out for Van Persie and his fellow Southampton product Theo Walcott.

He was always a threat. And in a match in which Arsenal was outclassed and noticeably bereft of attacking options for what seemed interminable portions, his spontaneity and exuberance were in short supply.

Time to see it on a more consistent basis.

Gervinho, who is the first-choice at left wing, won't return from the African Cup of Nations for a few weeks yet, but when he does, he'll undoubtedly reassume that role (however long it takes for him to regain fitness after the exhausting set of games in the tournament).

Why not slot in Oxlade-Chamberlain opposite Gervinho on the right wing, instead of Walcott?

The Ox was vastly superior on the night to Theo, and right wing is his preferred position. If he provided that much attacking intent on the left, can you imagine what he could do given consistent time on the opposite side?

It comes down to this: if Arsenal are to make a concerted push toward a top-four finish this season, I think it has become evident to everyone that Oxlade-Chamberlain will play a decisive role in the proceedings.

Time for Wenger, who has admitted to employing a short leash with the teenager for fear of exhausting him and creating impossible expectations along the way, to loosen the reigns.

The other tack certainly isn't producing the necessary results (Arsenal have lost three straight Premier League fixtures, and now sit five points removed from Chelsea and that coveted fourth-place spot).

It feels weird to exhort Wenger—who in the past has been one of the pre-eminent champions of playing youth, experience be damned—to give a teenager more time on the pitch.

But in this instance, I think it needs to be done. Jack Wilshere played all of last season as a teen in holding midfield, and was superb. What caused his off-season injury ahead of 2011-12, which has kept him out all season, may have been overuse, but it could also have simply been bad luck.

I hope Wenger isn't growing more cautious as this season steadily slips away from him. Now is not the time for feet shuffling and hem-hawing. 

Oxlade-Chamberlain looks a game changer every time he steps out onto the pitch. Hopefully he'll be doing so far more often. God knows (and we do too!) that Arsenal could use him.