Why Arsene Wenger has failed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal

Hasn’t been given a genuine chance

Despite playing 35 times in all competitions for Arsenal this season, you still sense that Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t really been given a genuine chance to show what he can do.

Injury has had something to do with that, but it ultimately comes down to the manager, and whether or not he does or does not back him to shine in the side.

Since the 23-year-old moved to the Emirates in 2011, he has featured 184 times for the Gunners, but only 103 of those have been starts.

He has been substituted on 81 times, and substituted off 78 times – how can he possibly get any consistency when he is constantly in and out of the side?

This season, for example, has seen Oxlade-Chamberlain play 22 times in the Premier League, 11 of which have been off the bench, which works out at a season average of 52 minutes per appearance.

Last season, he made 22 appearances and played 924 minutes of Premier League action, equating to just 42 minutes per appearance, and it follows a similar trend throughout his Gunners career.

There will be times whereby he hasn’t played well enough to warrant 90 minutes or he’s been forced off with injury but, ultimately, Wenger hasn’t really given him enough time on the pitch to prove his worth.