While a draw at West Ham did little to improve our outside chance of qualifying for Europe (through the League) it might just prove to be a crucial game in the career of Calum Chambers?
With our manager not wanting Bellerin to play twice a week, it seemed that Chambers was simply a spare body making up the numbers in a premiership fixture with nothing at stake.
In terms of Chambers proving he could be more than a makeshift full back, he couldn’t have done much more on Sunday. He made two of our goals with quality crosses, showing great personality and leadership qualities to be one of our main attacking outlets when we were 3-0 down.
Arteta included Chambers on his home debut in 2019 so clearly Chambers was part of his new bosses plans. A ruptured ACL kept him out for over a year. The problem being since joining us in 2014, he’s had too many injuries, meaning he never got a consistent run in the team.
So when planning our future back 4, Chambers fitness record makes him unreliable.
Yet we have been told for years Arteta’s strengths at Man City was coaching talent on a 1-1 and teaching them new skills. So there’s every chance the Spaniard sees that Chambers has the natural skills to suit his ethos.
In particular on loan at Fulham where he even played as a DM, the defender showed he can be trusted on the ball.
In our current system a centre back confident in possession is as important as defending. With David Luiz getting older there might be room for a ball playing defender. While no one can rival Luiz’s ability to pick a pass, Chambers does have the ability to time runs into midfield and join in an attack.
I have said the same about Rob Holding, who’s equally had time on the side-lines.
These are the type of individuals who represent the reason Arsenal gave Arteta his first managerial post. His reputation at the Etihad was a man who could get the best out of talent. He has done that for Holding and at the age of 26 can do the same for Chambers.
In that position you don’t reach your prime till you hit your thirties, so Chambers is young enough to be further developed.
From a marketing point of view, fans relate to British players who make it to our first team, so I believe Chambers will get every chance to prove he can stay fit. The likes of Chambers and Holding could become our leaders,
Two men who grew up with the Gunners being one of the most successful teams in the country, and who won’t have any designs to move elsewhere as this is as big a stage they will reach.
Some gooners might assume that Chambers was on the list of deadwood to get off the wage bill but they may reconsider after the weekend?
We might be looking back at the events of the London Stadium as a massive turning point in Calum Chambers career.
Be kind in the comments
Dan
A good lad, but injury prone. Cannot complete half a season without injury. Falling in the category of Diaby, Willshire, Rocisky, skilled players, gave their best but due to injury we could never attain our goals. Cut the loses and move.
Chelsea interested in Guendouzi who was the star of the show yesterday’s 3-0 win over Leverkusen if Chelsea want him is manager knows more than ours
Guendouzi has more energy than Xahka we should keep him Chelsea might see something Arteta missed
If I’m not mistaken Calum Chambers was bought as a right back from Southampton. I think with Cedric he can definitely make up the right back spot seeing that Bellerin is leaving in the summer. A tall full back can be useful at set pieces at both ends too.
He needs to specialize in DM position, otherwise he’d be a squad rotation player and would likely be sold in the summer due to his contract length. His ball control skill and his height allow him to be a makeshift RB, but he’s still too slow for an attacking RB role
I predict Elneny, Guendouzi and him would be sold in the summer, so Arsenal could keep Willock and promote the young DMs from the reserves
Imagine selling Elneny and keeping Willock!
Because Elneny just cost 5 M and is already 28 years old, whereas Willock is a homegrown and just 21 years old
Chambers is a far better footballer that most people give him credit for but two reasons he will struggle is his injury record and where does he play?
The main reason he will struggle is his lack of pace and when he comes up against a winger that has that he gets destroyed that’s prob why Fulham used him as a DM so he doesn’t get exposed to that!
His Crossing were absolutely fantastic…
Very good
So much inviting and dangerous crosses he made
Hopefully, Calum Chambers has fully recovered from his ACL and the strenuous rehabilitation regime has him fitter and stronger going forward.
Yes he was originally bought as a RB from Southampton as stated by Sean. He certainly took his opportunity in this game; however I would love to see Chambers given the chance to play DM along side Thomas Partey. This was the position he excelled in while on loan at Fulham FC.
DAN makes some well argued and good points about Chambers possible strengths. He is physically strong and tall , always an advantage in defenders and both are things that Bellerin much and obviously lacks, by comparison. Chambers does lack pace though , a fact that will always prevent he and Holding(who I also like) from ever being REALLY top class defenders.
Pace is so overridingly important, right across the team. Indeed , lack of pace both in thought and action is my CHIEF objection to the woeful Xhaka.
Even Leno lacks pace in thinking when he has the ball at his feet. He is desperately slow to move it, dangerously so on occasions.
Speed in movement, thought and passing is vital. And it is this lack of speed that right now prevents us being better than we are. We urgently need to increase this pace and then, but only then, watch us fly! Saka, ESR, Tierney and Odegaard have terrific pace.
IT IS NO MERE COINCIDENCE THAT ALL ARE OUR MOST EFFECTIVE PLAYERS.
I think everyone’s getting a little carried away over one game. Cedric would have fared just as well if not better if he had started yesterday. Only Bellerin doesnt seen to want to stay wide and run. Cedric has also linked up well with Pepe on both the left and right and I feel hes out best Rb. In the summer we can sell Bellerin and I wouldn’t be concerned if we didnt buy a replacement and invested in a cm, Acm and a cf.
Chambers when running with the ball looks so awkward! No smoothness. I always feel there is a blunder in him. Just compare Tierney’s running with Chamber’s. Poles apart. One is so natural and the other is so awkward! I wish Calum the best!
“In terms of Chambers proving he could be more than a makeshift full back, he couldn’t have done much more on Sunday.”
He also had a nice pass to Lacazette through on goal you’d think it was Odegaard that made it 🙂
PS:
Should have been a pen by the way
At the moment, we have bigger fish to fry. Chambers is a versatile, low maintenance squad player. The fact that he is also home-grown is also an asset to the squad. After witnessing his sterling – or Sterling like – performance yesterday at RB, my final thought was: good-bye Hector Bellerin, thanks for the memories.
I do wish that those fans who don’t rate HB for whatever reason, would just ask themselves this simple question :
Why are the top teams in Spain reportedly interested in him, along with a previous rumour that PSG were also casting their eyes over him?
Now onto Chambers and we see another player being crucified by our own fans.
Just like Holding, he is deemed to be not up to our required standards… yet on his first game back after a serious injury, he was one of our top performers.
His suggested lack of speed and height wasn’t seen as a problem for MA, despite having both Bellerin and Soares fit (presumably).
Now I’m not saying he is the bees knees, but perhaps it would help if our fans actually got behind the players… especially after having an excellent return to the PL and against a team currently in top form.
Apparently PSG wanted him for 15 mil euros and barca a similar amount. Neither were willing to pay more.
👍 Any player is saleable if the transfer fee and wage request are low enough.
we need to slow our roll when it comes to Chambers…he had a stellar second-half yesterday, but he’s certainly not an everyday starter, unless Arteta is willing to switch tactics and move away from our double pivot gig…as for Bellerin, he’s clearly not a subpar player, he’s simply underwhelming considering the obviously overinflated expectations…for years we were told that Hector was on-track to be a world-class RB and that never materialized…now it’s difficult to embrace this slightly above average version…as such if we’re presented with an opportunity to secure a decent chunk of change by transferring him elsewhere, it would be prudent on our part to do so…I would rather have a younger higher ceiling prospect that we can groom, especially with Cedric under contract, than continue to overpay a player that has clearly maxed-out
Chambers was used against West Ham to combat their aerial threat and I do not see him figuring at RB on a regular basis.Prior to his injury Chambers was arguably our form CB and with Holding is probably our best pairing in my opinion.They are not the quickest, but they are faster than Luis and Mari who will never make it in the EPL.Both Luis and Mari are obliged to defend deep because they lack the pace to recover.In that way there is a gap between them and our central midfielders one of whom is arguably the slowest player in the entire League.I have yet to be convinced by Gabriel , but he does seem to have pace once he is up and running , and has the physical power to cope well in the air.I do hope he makes it along with Saliba and Mavroponas who has been doing well in GermanyThe success of Man City this season is based on a solid CB pairing for without a strong spine, success is simply not possible as evidenced by the slump of Liverpool without Gomez and VVD.
Chambers was solid. However, It would be impossible for him with his lack of speed and craft to be consistent as a wing back so I see him more as a defensive midfielder plugging gaps. He did very well in this position the last time he was out on loan.
He’s a squad player. I don’t see him as a team regular in most matches
This guy will play anywhere he just needs a chance!
I hope he will be injury “free” this season so we can enjoy him more!
Slow, sometimes but a real fighter!
If this a turning point for Chambers, then it will be a very large one, rather like his turning circle on the pitch when an attacker goes past him!
I wish we would NOT judge defenders by their ability to go forward, especially when our defense seems to have become a problem!!