Per Mertesacker says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s season starts now after his two-goal salvo helped the Gunners overcome a stubborn Crystal Palace.
Making his first Premier League start since the first day of the season, the England midfielder cut an impressive figure in the centre of the park easing the burden on a squad without Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Mathieu Flamini.
Speaking after the game to Arsenal Player, Mertesacker predicted his young teammate will have a big say in the rest of the season.
“[He made a] great impact. I think his season really starts now and as you can see he was the right addition tonight [against Palace].
“We really appreciate that he’s back and he’ll come soon to full fitness. He’ll play a good part in our season. He deserved to be Man of the Match tonight as he scored crucial goals.”
Manager Arsene Wenger was similarly ebullient when quizzed on the 20-year-old’s match-winning contribution.
“Look, I always believed that he could play wide and central,” he told his post-match press conference. “I said that many times that his future will be central.
“He has proven me right today, by scoring the goals but also by the quality of his performance. It took him a while to get back.
“He was injured against Aston Villa on that famous day and it took him a while to get back. Overall I’m pleased that he’s now back to full fitness. You could see that he had some cramps in the end, that he is still a bit short.”
Seems a tad strange that the boss should link cramps with a lack of height. He’s not even the shortest in the squad.
Great to see him back, at the perfect time for us. I hope he has a big say in the title race.
You mean its NICE to see him back.
I always end the articles with a giggle. This is why Arseblog News > Arsenal.com
…& then I proceed to the comments for more giggles.
Could explain why Arshavin was a lazy bastard. That guy is short as f**k!
Surely such snide remarks on and repeated pokiing fun at the likes of arshavin, park, gervinho etc are getting tiresome and uncalled for. They failed to make it here but i don’t think they have done anything devious to Arsenal to deserve these.
the above para does not apply to nasri, adebayor or van persie though.
Nah, they’re grown ups and should be able to take a few gags; except Arshavin who only grew out rather than up.
Sorry.
Couldn’t resist.
It’s all about the beans. If he’d had his, he wouldn’t be in this (short) situation right now.
I love beans!! Mmmmm
I’m loving the sideburns the Ox is currently sporting, even though I am a bit jealous cos I can’t grow them, and I’m 34!
He tries to impress the Gent with those ‘burns, surely.
they’re not burns…they’re bugger grips
Top performance from a top lad, great to have him back. Looks ready to make up for the lost time, always thought this was gonna be his year.
LANS
Ox is one the treasures of our team… Go Ox Go!
Ox, the box-to-box fox!
What did the Ox say?
Nice.
I was playing around with some goal targets for our team the other week. Based on how many goals i thought we’d need to score, to win the league. Had the OX in for two between then and the end of the season. He’s already hit his target and therefore the only logical conclusion is that we’re going to win the league!
Loved the ox from day one, quality baller, articulate young gent. #manlove
He’s a good mix of speed and strong build so great for bursting towards the box like his 2nd goal. Re that 2nd goal, I loved his back heal to Giroud.
If he could do a back-heal to Kallstrom that’d be even better.
Brilliant, you have just won today’s comments!
Up, the Ox!
I feel that the Ox could be the player to make a difference against Munich. He is fresh and has that youthful energy that can undo the best teams.
Nice.
A little bit SHORT!! Genius
Cramp makes you short, as you can’t stretch your legs out fully.
Why didn’t any one understand what Wenger said by little bit short. He ment fitness wise Ox was a bit short. So he got cramps at the end. Wenger always say that about player fitness. Super used no one got it.
And why didn’t you understand that the OP was just being little bit funny?
Or maybe they all did get it, but they pretended they didn’t so that they could make stupid yet hilarious jokes about it.
reminds me about when the media asked Arsene after a game about Arsenal being short on striking options, and Arsenal replied ‘we are short because theo is not tall’
One of my favourite Wenger moments
Surprised*
hello have you tried stamp collecting or gardening? maybe you’ll have more fun there 😀
Be nice to see Hodgson ditch English deadwood that have never really done it at a major tournament and use the likes of OX, Jack, Barkley and Lalana with Rooney, Sturridge (real form performers). Instead of sticking with gerrard lampard blabla. Make for a much more exciting summer, after we win the league.
I think Arsene was doing/undoing his jacket during this interview. Typical contradictory sentences with : “Overall I’m pleased that he’s now back to full fitness. You could see that he had some cramps in the end, that he is still a bit short.” Hoping you intended to crack a mean one with the Ox’s “height” interpretation. Lol-ness if not. 🙂 I won’t be too surprised if BFG, SZChiknya personally massage his thighs amongst others parts over this week. Fitness fingers crossed.. much tighter than the holy space they were meant to be used. Will pay for this in EMI’s when… Read more »
I think you were playing with a Rubik’s cube while writing this post.
😀
My favorite part was at 80 something minutes or so, ox was stretching out his hamstring and wenger just yells “Alex! Sit down”
Brilliant strategy prof hahaha
actually i for one thought he meant sit.. as in sit in his position and not make runs forward anymore.. but it could’ve been the simpler version i.e sit down.. hmmmmmmmm
I’m pretty sure he said the actual words ‘sit down’ but if not u could be right. He also did gesture ‘down’ with his hand though
I can confirm this, as I saw it and heard it myself, though I wouldn’t take my word entirely for it, as I’d been up for 17 or so hours when the match started.
funny accent(wenger) “alex, alex sit down”
It is nice to read nice articles about how nice the Ox is.
If ox works on his long range shooting and gets it right nothing can stop him
Even the best long-range shooters don’t score that often long range shots, it’s just that we remember those few occasions because long range goals are great. And that’s precisely why our style is to “walk the ball into the net”, because obviously the closer you are to the goal the more likely your shot will be on target. And anyway, didn’t those two goals from Chambo show that he can do perfectly well without long range shots? And by the way, the new form from Ramsey and Chambo just show that Wenger isn’t as stupid and obstinate as he’s sometimes… Read more »
We could feasibly play an all British mid and it still be one of the best in the prem.
No “feasibly” about that – it’s a certainty. Walcott, Ramsey, and Ox in attack with Wilshere behind them would be just awesome.
I love the Ox, I wet my pants when I see him play, already showing his class and only 20, wait til he peaks.
Waaay better than Andros Townsend who is yet another media hyped Spurs product.
Waay better than Sterling again another for the media’s favorite teams to succeed us for the past 3 seasons.
And can’t believe he is still only 20. He is more versatile than either candidate for the England RW. With Gerrard aging, he is also making a case for the middle. I’d take him to Brazil if I was Hodgeson.
I don’t think AW meant short in height. He meant short in game fitness since the OX had been out a while
*smacks forehead*
“Seems a tad strange that the boss should link cramps with a lack of height. He’s not even the shortest in the squad.” was that a joke.. and if you were serious, then my friend you got it wrong.. wenger saying that “he had cramps in the end that he is a bit short” means he is still not fully fit(not 100% fit)..
why would wenger regards the season opener against villa as ‘famou?’
did he means ‘infamous?’