Kevin Campbell criticises Albert Sambi Lokonga after Arsenal win

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Kevin Campbell has told Highbury Squad that Albert Sambi Lokonga looked way off it during Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Oxford United on Monday, suggesting that the Belgian was not good enough.

The Gunners are through to the fourth round after a 3-0 victory against the League One side. They took some time to find the opener. But Mohamed Elneny broke the deadlock in the second-half before Eddie Nketiah added a brace.

Arsenal made hard work of Karl Robinson’s men. And for some, the turning point would have come when Mikel Arteta made changes just after the hour-mark at the Kassam Stadium.

Campbell not impressed by Albert Sambi Lokonga

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Granit Xhaka replaced Kieran Tierney and Lokonga. It proved to be a particularly disappointing evening for the Belgian.

He has found it difficult to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s plans this season. And Campbell has suggested that he failed to prove any kind of point to the boss in his appearance on Monday.

“They’re trying. But you get an opportunity against Oxford, you’ve got to take it. Kieran Tierney did alright. But Lokonga, he wants to stake a claim. He looked way off it, he did. He didn’t look good enough tonight,” he told Highbury Squad.

“For the manager to trust you, to put you in, you’ve got to start taking these opportunities. So if anyone happens in the first-team, Sambi’s ready. Sambi’s not ready.

“To affect the game, he had to take Sambi off.”

It is hard to see where Arsenal go with Lokonga. He is well down the pecking order. He has not played in the Premier League since the North London derby at the very start of October.

Lokonga should have the potential to be better than Mohamed Elneny. However, Arteta knows exactly what he is going to get from the Egyptian. And that is exactly what Arsenal need with so much on the line.

Perhaps a loan move is needed. It is too soon to write Lokonga off when he is only 23. And he has played a lot of football over the last couple of years.

But, having said that, if Arsenal receive a significant offer, you would imagine that they would not necessarily be against the idea of letting him leave permanently.