3 Areas for Arsenal's Joel Campbell to Improve to Take His Game Forward

Joel Campbell must cut a somewhat frustrated figure at Arsenal these days. When called upon this season, he has generally overachieved. Few expected the Costa Rican to make a significant impact on the Gunners’ season, but when injury presented him with an opportunity, he seized it with startling swagger.

However, his efforts have not been enough to win Arsene Wenger’s lasting faith. For Saturday's match at West Ham United, Campbell was not even on the substitutes bench. Some would suggest that means Campbell could be headed for the exits at Arsenal, but the winger has been written off before and bounced back.

It would be foolish to put a limit on his potential, given his improvement this season. In this piece, we'll identify three areas he needs to improve upon if he’s to be rewarded with a regular place in the side.

Stamina

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When Wenger does pick Campbell, he rarely stays in for a full 90 minutes. Granted, that’s partially because he works so hard to provide defensive cover. Although ostensibly a forward, one of Campbell’s biggest strengths is his willingness to track back—and the accuracy of his sliding tackles once he does take up a defensive position.

However, it’s problematic that he can’t sustain that level of effort for 90 minutes. Starting Campbell means Wenger will have to use one of his three substitutes to replace him, whereas Alexis Sanchez has the ability to keep going for a full match.

The wide forward positions have evolved significantly in recent years, and relentless running is now part of their remit. Campbell must improve his stamina if he’s to become a reliable option for Wenger.

Movement

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In recent weeks, Campbell has lost his place to teenage sensation Alex Iwobi. The two share many attributes—they’re both strong on the ball with an eye for a penetrative pass. However, the main difference between the two is their positional flexibility.

When Campbell plays on the flank, he usually sticks to it. When deployed on the right, he tends to function as a conventional inverted winger, driving slightly infield to create space for the full-back on the overlap. On the left, he is even more straightforward, dribbling to the byline before swinging in crosses.

Wenger generally prefers a more nuanced approach. When Iwobi starts, he regularly interchanges position with both Mesut Ozil and Alexis, creating a fluid front three. Campbell doesn’t yet seem to possess the tactical intelligence to operate with that kind of freedom.

Finishing

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If there’s one thing that guarantees a player a spot in the team, it’s goals. Campbell is no slouch in front of goal—he’s certainly a more reliable finisher than someone like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, at any rate.

However, there have also been some notable misses. At times, Campbell seems so eager to impress that it impedes his finishing. A cooler head might have seen him add several goals to his tally.

In an ideal world, each of the three Arsenal players stationed behind the centre-forward would be contributing 10 to 15 goals per season. Campbell has the ability to produce that kind of total. If he could only add some composure, he might be able to make himself undroppable.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.