A look at Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s stand-out performance for Arsenal against Bayern Munich

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On another dismal night for Arsenal in the Champions League, one man stood head and shoulders above of everybody else on the pitch and left the Emirates Stadium with his pride still fully intact.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was exceptional from start to finish for the Gunners, proving once again that he can impress and take it in his stride to play in a central midfield role, rather than out wide.

He showed a lot of promise during the first-leg in Munich, but nobody could have expected the impact on the match – or first-half at least – that the 23-year-old midfielder would have against a Bayern Munich side full of world-class players, undeniably coming out on top at the Emirates.

Oxlade-Chamberlain epitomised Arsenal’s spirited mentality going into Tuesday’s second-leg, lifting his side from the start with darting runs and impressive, pacey breaks from deep in midfield to turn defence in to attack in the blink of an eye – his tenacity on the ball led by example from the word go.

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The England midfielder made ten take-ons during the match, more than any other player on the pitch, and was successful in all; his combination of speed and power simply proved too much for Bayern.

Not only did his bursting runs give Arsenal attacking impetus, it also roused the crowd during the first-half and, once Theo Walcott had given his side the lead, the noise levels inside the Emirates Stadium were at an almost unprecedented level this season, urging their side forward each time they had the ball.

Arsenal could have gone into Tuesday’s match simply looking for damage limitation, but Oxlade-Chamberlain almost single-handedly gave his side a lift, taking the game to the visitors and making them know that the Gunners wouldn’t lie down and roll over. As well as his direct running, he completed 82% of his midfield passes in a calm and composed performance, coping well under the pressure of Bayern’s high-press, and created two further clear-cut chances in front of goal for Arsenal.

He also proved to be far more effective as a box-to-box midfielder than anticipated, able to have the stamina to support both defence and attack regularly as he made one important interception and two defensive blocks as Bayern attacked, using his high-energy levels to work tirelessly.

The statistics from last night suggest alone how effective Oxlade-Chamberlain was in Arsenal’s efforts, but it wasn’t just this – his passion for the club was clear for all to see, and it cannot be said that he doesn’t care about the Gunners as he never gave up on chasing loose balls, not even at 5-1 down on the night.

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Not only will this endear him to the Arsenal supporters, but it should make Arsene Wenger sit up and take note – between him and Frances Coquelin, or Granit Xhaka, there’s no competition at the moment.

After the full-time whistle went it was clear to see how distraught he was, visibly completely spent of all energy after, arguably, being the only Arsenal player to fight right until the end despite the score.

Oxlade-Chamberlain had begun the season out of favour with Arsene Wenger and had struggled to get a decent run of matches, but after Tuesday it’s clear to see he’s earnt himself a starting spot in the Arsenal first-team; Wenger would be a fool to not give him chance to grow and improve in a central position.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Emrah Partal.