Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 0: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the midfield general, delights Arsene Wenger with double
England international scored both of the Gunners' goals at the Emirates
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expressed his delight at Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance from the centre of midfield during the Gunners 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, in which he scored both of the goals to send the club back to the top of the Premier League.
It was Oxlade-Chamberlain's first start in the Premier League since the opening day of the season, when he suffered a knee injury in the 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
Playing in the middle was a change for the 20-year-old, who usually features on the wing, but Wenger claimed that playing as a central midfielder will be his normal position as his career progresses.
"I believe Chamberlain can play out wide or centrally. Certainly in a few years he will be a central midfielder," Wenger said.
"He has that surge of power which is so vital in the game today. He is also a good finisher and hopefully these two goals will give him some confidence as he is not always sure he is a good goalscorer.
"Chamberlain was out for a long, long time and we needed to be patient to get him back to full fitness. He had a great game and scored two great goals."
Oxlade-Chamberlain himself added: "To get in midfield was also nice, and it's good that the manager has faith in me there.
"It's also nice playing in midfield alongside the players we have, like Mikel [Arteta] and Mesut [Ozil].
On his double, Oxlade-Chamberlain said: "It is always an amazing feeling to score a goal. I've been off the pitch for a while so it was nice to come back and help the team."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments