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Calum Chambers was signed by Arsenal four years ago as a teenager but is now out on loan at Fulham, but where could his career at the Gunners go from here?

He broke into the Southampton first team as a tall and athletic full-back, and was already singled out for his versatility thanks to starting his career as a midfielder. He was even named captain of England’s U19s, but his transfer to the Emirates Stadium has not progressed his career in the same fashion.

In truth, the move for the then 19-year-old came too early as Arsene Wenger looked to snap up a potential youth superstar after just one Premier League campaign at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Even though Wenger got instant use out of the young defender in his debut season, covering for the likes of Per Mertesacker and Mathieu Debuchy, the emergence of Hector Bellerin curtailed his chances.

A loan spell at Middlesbrough could have killed his chances there and then of becoming an Arsenal great, too, going down in a side that won just five games. Yet he returned to London with a point to prove, after playing a part in the best defensive unit at the bottom of the table.

Chances greeted Chambers back in N5, and come the end of the year was handed a new long-term contract. But despite Unai Emery claiming he would be part of his plans during his inaugural season, he soon shifted the 23-year-old off on loan to recently-promoted Fulham.

Playmaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas which Arsenal players would get into the Tottenham team ahead of the North London Derby – Check out the video below…

If Chambers wants to make it as a right-back, it will not be at a top-six or even a top-half side. The 23-year-old lacks the pace to play the role in the modern game, and the athleticism he showed as a teenager is not enough for the position anymore.

Even at centre-back, he will not establish himself as the first name on the team-sheet, and at Fulham has been caught out as much as anyone else. While as a holding midfielder, where he featured against Chelsea on Sunday, Chambers has the chance to cement a set role and get his career back on track.

Stepping in to snatch the ball, dribbling through the heart of the pitch, taking on tantalising efforts and playing long passes all go hand-in-hand with the position and suit Chambers’ game to a tee. It is why he performed so well at Stamford Bridge.

Unfortunately, his move to Fulham has placed Chambers behind the likes of Lucas Torreira for that role, and maybe even Matteo Guendouzi, who has shown immense potential under Emery. Even at centre-back, Rob Holding and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have established themselves in that role ahead of the 23-year-old.

So where can Chambers go from here? A player capable of taking on three separate roles, but he is not the best at Arsenal in any of those.

His only chance of making it would be to take inspiration from Danny Welbeck. The former Manchester United forward has never been the first name on the team-sheet since his move to Arsenal, but the 28-year-old is the perfect squad player.

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The forward is the kind of option a manager dreams of having; while he will not start every game, he is there on the bench to step in either up front or out wide and can change a game.

Chambers could be that option for Emery but on the defensive side, providing he can accept the backup role. There, he can go on to be an Arsenal player for years to come, but he will have to concede he will never start every game or be the first name on the team-sheet.

Instead, he will be the perfect understudy.

Stoke City continue to slide under Gary Rowett as they suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Blackburn Rovers. 

The Potters have looked extremely disappointing so far this season and are still yet to really find their feet in the Championship. Although, it looks as if one of their first team members is looking to hit form on the international stage, as according to BBC Sport, Saido Berahino has highlighted his determination to help his country Burundi qualify for major tournaments in the coming years.

Indeed, the 25-year-old highlighted how keen he is to help his country after making the commitment to play for the African nation on a regular basis.

And, this is what the forward had to say:

“We have a long way to get there but I believe with this team, what I have seen so far, we have young and hungry players and we managed to show that against Gabon.

“As everybody knows, I reached a tough patch in my career and I thought that playing for my country will give me a different type of challenge and give me a different type of responsibility.” 

THE VERDICT:

Saido Berahino has been impressive for Stoke City so far this season and will play a huge part in their push for a place in the play-offs.

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Indeed, it’s good to see that the forward is determined to thrive on the international stage in order to help his country qualify for major tournaments.

Leeds fans are still not quite sure what to make of Caleb Ekuban, after the striker grabbed his first league goal for the club on Friday.

Good Friday was a great Friday for Leeds fans, as their side finally stopped their torrid run of form with a 2-1 win over Bolton.

Fan favourite Pablo Hernandez was on the scoresheet yet again, but the opening goal came from struggling striker Caleb Ekuban. Ekuban hadn’t yet scored a league goal for the club, despite grabbing 17 goals in Albania last season.

Ekuban has taken plenty of flak from fans, and that may continue even with the goal, as he missed two golden opportunities to add to his tally. Still, the Ghanaian forward sounds in high spirits.

“As a striker we all know the more chances you have the more probability you have to score,” Ekuban said.

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“I’m getting my confidence and I’m really happy because my team-mates are backing me a lot.

“That’s the most important part of the game. The more chances I have the more goals I can have. We are getting closer and knowing each other better now.”

Leeds fans may disagree with the idea that the more chances the 24 year-old gets the more he will score, as it seems the more chances he gets the more he misses. Ekuban says he will improve in time.

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“The more you play the more you become better in this league.”

Fans have been reacting to the comments on Twitter, and it seems most of them are still unconvinced by the 24 year-old….

One of the most intriguing Premier League fixtures this weekend comes as Southampton play host to Newcastle United at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Saints come into the clash following a relatively disappointing start to the campaign in which they have taken eight points from their opening seven fixtures.

Successive defeats against Manchester United and Stoke City have kept the south coast outfit firmly in the bottom half of the table at this early stage, and it is their troubles in front of goal which are once again alarming – they have failed to find the net in four of their seven league games.

Meanwhile, the Magpies have endured a mixed start to their own campaign with three wins, one draw and three defeats so far, and they have already been beaten by fellow newly-promoted sides Huddersfield and Brighton on their travels.

Newcastle certainly don’t have a good record at St Mary’s either, losing on their last four visits to the south coast and conceding 13 goals in the process, scoring just one goal in return.

Both teams certainly know that they have the players that can make the difference in a game like this one, and they will be raring to go come Sunday afternoon.

Here are four key on-pitch battles that will decide which way the result goes…

Virgil van Dijk vs Joselu

Much like Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino, Rafa Benitez has favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation this season and summer signing Joselu looks to be the first-choice striker right now.

While he found the net in the win against West Ham and the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at St James’ Park last time out, the Spaniard has also missed a fair few good chances in recent weeks and he will be looking to do better at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Van Dijk made his first start since January when Saints faced Stoke City last time out, and despite giving away a penalty the Dutchman was strong in the air and vocal at the back and he will be tasked with dealing with Joselu this weekend.

Mario Lemina vs Jonjo Shelvey

Having been Southampton’s man of the match against Crystal Palace and Manchester United, Lemina is already making a big impression in the middle of the park for Saints following his summer move from Juventus.

The 24-year-old is energetic and has the ability to get away from his opponents because of his skill on the ball, and he could prove to be a key man against the Magpies on Sunday.

However, Newcastle have a midfielder of their own that is in good form right now and while his bad temperament can sometimes get the better of him, Shelvey showed his quality in possession and the range of passing he is capable of against Liverpool last time out, and it was his through ball that Joselu rather fortunately found the net from.

Ryan Bertrand vs Matt Ritchie

Having been one of Newcastle’ most influential players last season as they secured an immediate return to the Premier League, it is no surprise that Ritchie has already proven to be a key player for the Magpies in the top flight this term.

The right-sided midfielder has provided four assists in his side’s seven league fixtures, with his set-piece delivery proving to be particularly effective.

The man that will be tasked with dealing with the threat of the 28-year-old is Ryan Bertrand, who certainly hasn’t been as effective from an attacking point of view this season as he has previously for Southampton.

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He will be looking to change that on Sunday and force Ritchie to have to track back and try and defend against him, to stop the Scot making too much of an impact at the other end of the pitch.

Manolo Gabbiadini vs Jamaal Lascelles

Having scored just one goal in his previous 12 Southampton appearances and visibly struggling in the lone striker role in the 4-2-3-1 formation, Gabbiadini has dropped to the substitutes’ bench for Saints previous three Premier League fixtures with Shane Long preferred up top.

However, with Long failing to find the net and missing the Republic of Ireland;s win over Wales during the week, Mauricio Pellegrino may choose to bring the Italy international back into his starting line-up for the visit of Newcastle.

Meanwhile despite not starting the season in Rafa Benitez’s team, Lascelles has quickly gone on to become one of their best performers after replacing the injured Florian Lejeune against Tottenham on the opening day.

The Magpies captain, who recently signed a new six-year contract, has helped his side keep two clean sheets as well as scoring in the wins against Swansea and Stoke, and he could be a key man at both ends of the pitch at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Last night, Newcastle United beat Preston North End at St. James’ Park to guarantee a place in the Premier League next season, returning to the top flight at the first time of asking with a 4-1 win.

And whilst the Magpies’ more attacking stars have inevitably grabbed the headlines, not least including brace-bagger Ayoze Perez and penalty converter Matt Ritchie, midfielder Isaac Hayden was equally as pivotal in getting his side over the finishing line in the race for promotion.

The former Arsenal youngster has been fantastic all season as the unsung presence in Newcastle’s midfield, so his under-the-radar role in last night’s match was particularly fitting of his status in this promotion-winning side.

Indeed, as our infographic shows, Hayden was nothing short of monstrous in the middle of the park, finishing the match with four tackles, two interceptions and five successful aerial duels to his name.

But the defender come midfielder made a difference in possession as well; he actually completed the most dribbles of any Newcastle player, produced three efforts at goal and finished the match with the best passing accuracy of any Newcastle starter.

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There’s an ongoing debate over what quality Newcastle can bring in during the summer and although the 22-year-old is relatively unproven in the Premier League, his understated yet intrinsic influence on Newcastle’s results suggests he’ll be one of the first names on Rafa Benitez’s team-sheet next season.

Last season was Arsenal’s best chance to finish the as Premier League champions, yet it was wrecked as they failed to take the level of advantage of underperforming rivals as Leicester did and so it was they that were crowned the winners.

Arsene Wenger’s inability to recruit a quality striker has duly drawn a lot of criticism. A lot of chances created by the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez went begging due to Oliver Giroud’s lack of finishing ability and Danny Welbeck’s injury ravaged season.

A striker must be Wenger’s top priority and here are FIVE options to resolve their goalscoring woes.

1. Alvaro Morata

Rumours to be believed, Real Madrid exercised their buy back clause to get Alvaro Morata back from Juventus to sell the Spaniard for a profit. The European champions reportedly want £67million for the 23-year-old attacker, which has deterred clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal.

The striker has a good amount of confidence and possesses big game mentality, but doesn’t have a very impressive goals to games ratio. Cracking this transfer might seem tricky for Wenger because goalscoring isn’t much evident from the Spaniard yet.

2. Romelu Lukaku

Although Lukaku plays for Everton, his past affiliations with Chelsea and Jose Mourinho (rivals of Arsenal and Arsene Wenger respectively) could be a major block for the transfer. Nonetheless, Lukaku has been a good striker for his clubs. He has scored more than 10 goals in his two seasons for Everton and during his loan spell at West Brom. The 23 year old Belgian is blessed with a good physique and speed, quite a rare combination and can be a success at Arsenal.

But Ronald Koeman is unwilling to part with the Belgian and will demand more than £55 million for the striker. Although goals have flowed, the big Belgian is not quite clinical in his finishing and his inconsistency might not encourage Wenger to stump a huge fee.

3. Mario Mandzukic

The arrival of Gonzalo Higuain might reduce game time for Mandzukic at Juventus and Wenger could swoop in to capture the temperamental and fiery Croatian. Good in air, a decent finisher and not afraid to get his hands dirty, the marksman will be a good competitor to Oliver Giroud.

Now 30, Mandzukic is not the long term option that Wenger could be looking for. But according to transfermarkt.com, Mandzukic has registered more bookings than assists in his footballing career, he could be Arsenal’s own Diego Costa.

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4. Mauro Icardi

Since his move to Inter Milan, the Argentine has not failed to impress. 52 goals in 105 appearances, meaning a goal in every two appearances for the San Siro outfit, scoring has never been a problem for Icardi. Serie A’s top goalscorer in 2014/15 season, the Argentine would be dejected to see himself not playing in the Champions League.

Napoli has been linked with a £40million move for Icardi to replace Higuain at the club. Rather selling to a direct rival, Inter Milan might be tempted to sell the Argentine to the London based club at the same price.

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5. Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal might have to up the bid after their £29.5million offer for Alexandre Lacazette was rejected by Lyon.

Although in the last season, the striker wasn’t quite sharp in the first half of the season but bounced back by scoring a plenty of goals in the later stages. A total of 54 goals in 84 matches for Lyon in past two seasons, the French striker is undoubtedly a good finisher. Hailing from the same nation as that of Giroud, a strong partnership and a healthy competition could be expected.

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The summer of 2005 was lit up by one of the most interesting transfer sagas in Premier League history. On July 5, Steven Gerrard publicly announced his decision to reject a new £100,000- a- week contract extension and in the process, extended his desire to migrate to London to play for Chelsea.

Gerrard said it was ‘the hardest decision I have ever had to make’ at the time, but Liverpool subsequently rejected Chelsea’s £32m bid for the 25-year-old and Gerrard signed a four-year contract extension the very next day.

Mourinho drooled over the prospect of that move last month.

“He [Gerrard] is a historical player for Liverpool, a historical player for the Premier League and an opponent I have always admired and respected,” Mourinho said. “We did everything to try [to sign him] and it was almost there. I was dreaming of [Claude] Makélélé, Gerrard and [Frank] Lampard in midfield.

“We were playing in a proper triangle without a No10 and playing Maka in front of the defenders. Me, Mr Abramovich and [the former Chelsea chief executive] Peter Kenyon at that time, we dreamed of that.

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“His people were open to him joining a top side like Chelsea. But to me personally he never said he would come. Never. He [Gerrard] was always a red and I think the decision was right.”

Ah well, Jose, dry your eyes mate, it didn’t happen. But lets figuratively wonder what a transfer of that magnitude would have meant for Chelsea, Liverpool and even England.

For Chelsea, Mourinho would have had the most physically abrasive and penetrative midfield in Premier League history. Lampard came second in World Footballer of the Year in 2005 and Gerrard came second in the Ballon d’Or in 2008. Both performed at a staggeringly consistent level until about 2010, so you’d assume that Chelsea would have dominated English football well into the noughties. Right?

Wrong, actually. German wonderboy Michael Ballack joined in 2006, an equal to Gerrard in many ways, and Deco joined in 2009. Chelsea arguably failed to win in England those years with Ballack because Sir Alex Ferguson assembled his best Premier League team in history (that team which boasted Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez going forward) which would later nick the Champions League from John Terry’s hands and win three straight Premier Leagues.

The damage, more, would have been done to Liverpool, who he carried forward inspirationally, especially in the FA Cup the following year where he single-handedly put West Ham to bed in the final. Rafa Benitez’s reign was generally more successful than people remember, and peaked in 2008 when they finished second to United with a staggering 86 points. The departures of Xabi Alonso, Javier Masherano and Fernando Torres slowly dismantled that team, and Liverpool were ultimately at their most reliant on Gerrard between 2009-2012 when they were weighed down by the Hicks/Gillet ownership struggle.

It’s difficult to imagine Mersyside finding anyone nearly as iconic to lead them through the last decade, while Abramovic’s bank account has guaranteed an influx of available talent to Chelsea all the way through. Essentially, the move as a whole would have been a much greater loss to Liverpool than a gain for Chelsea.

The more interesting think would have been to see if an England national coach would have replicated Mourinho’s proposed use of Gerrard and Lampard in tandem with a designated holder behind. The reason those English midfield giants never gelled together internationally is because they always played in a midfield two, meaning one of them had to sit deeper, contradictory to what they did best.

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That would have provided a foundation for a Scholes-Gerrard-Lampard English midfield. It’s utterly tragic that such never happened.

Anyway, you can speculate all you want about what might have happened, but Gerrard and Lampard’s intertwined careers look set to continue into the future when they wind up in the retirement home of world football – the MLS.

You can speculate all you want about what might have happened. Gerrard ultimately chose to stay at Liverpool, and the people of Mersyside will undoubtedly be indebted to him long into the future.

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Arsenal forward Theo Walcott’s future at the club hasn’t always been clear this season but after signing a new three-and-a-half-year contract to extend his stay at the Emirates, it seems the crux of the contractual wrangle, his desire to play up front and through the middle as a striker had been solved after getting an extended run in the side, but is the jury still out as to whether this is really his natural position?

The 23-year-old England international’s performance during the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge perfectly encapsulated both sides of the argument. In the first half, Walcott was caught offside three times trying to get on the last shoulder of the defender before latching on to a through ball from midfield only for the Chelsea back four to comfortably step up and leave him obsolete. However, after the break, with renewed purpose, Arsenal began to flood forward more and more, pushing Rafa Benitez’s side deeper and deeper into their own half and when collecting a lovely slide rule pass from Santi Cazorla, he dispatched his effort into the bottom corner past Petr Cech to give his side a lifeline in the 58th minute.

Many have argued that Walcott is only as good as the service he gets, which is the case with plenty of strikers; he’s a touch one-dimensional, relying on his pace more than most, but when faced with the whites of the goalkeeper’s eyes, he has developed an unnerving accuracy in front of goal and has become something of a clinical finisher in one-on-one situations. Is granting him a central striking role really the best move for Arsenal when they have the likes of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski within the ranks, though? Or have the side slowly but surely started to adjust to their new main man up top?

Wenger told reporters after the 5-2 victory over Reading back in December: “Thierry (Henry) gives him advice, which is always important and Theo is a very intelligent boy.

“He understands very quickly when you tell him something and that’s why I think he can do very well in this position. I like what I have seen of Theo through the middle.

“It’s an interesting challenge (for him). I think he can take it on. He is now 23. I decided to play Henry at 23 through the middle because you have to learn a lot before.”

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Walcott is currently the club’s top scorer this season with 17 goals across all competitions, including 10 in the Premier League, while delivering the healthy return of 11 assists. His hat-trick through the middle against Newcastle, plus another against Reading and the winner against Brighton point to a productive spell, while his shot accuracy of 63% is impressive. According to Opta, Walcott is currently contributing a goal or assist every 71.8 minutes of playing time, which compares favourably to his former team-mate, Manchester United striker Robin van Persie’s at 76.9. He is clearly playing with plenty of confidence now.

However, the club’s recent 5-1 victory over West Ham at home during a mad seven-minute spell during which they scored four goals showcased perhaps the team’s most balanced attack, with Lukas Podolski down the left, an increasingly at home Olivier Giroud through the middle and Walcott to the right of a front three but given the mandate to drift inside more than he used to when playing as a traditional winger.

It’s worth noting that excluding cup competitions, when it comes down to the nitty gritty of games against quality opposition, Walcott has a return of four goals in five games with two assists according to WhoScored as a striker. Contrast this with his record out wide, which has seen him score five goals and make four assists in eight games, with a further nine appearances as a substitute rendering two goals and one assist and it’s difficult to come down definitively on either side. It’s hard to say with any confidence that he’s serving the side more through the middle than he is out wide. He doesn’t appear to be hampered by getting involved in the final third from the flank as much as you may initially expect.

There is an element of obsession within the media regarding Walcott (I realise the irony that I’m now adding to it with this article), just as there is and will continue to be with Wayne Rooney. Only Walcott would come under such scrutiny for accepting a contract of £100k-per-week with many observers arguing that he’s not ‘worthy’ of such an amount, but that completely misses the point because at the moment he is the club’s most consistent attacking outlet, and regardless of money, he is doing an extremely good job this season.

It’s not that Walcott can’t play through the middle as a striker, he clearly can, it’s just that the overall quality of the side and variance of their play may be affected against better opposition when he does. He is a one-dimensional striker and when he plays up front, as Arsenal looked against Chelsea in the first half, the side lowers itself to adjust to his level by becoming more one-dimensional in the way they move the ball and look for gaps in the opposition. The tactic of playing him in behind might not always work, but when he comes off the flank with a more recognisable reference point like Giroud, he can do just as much damage.

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The obvious counter-argument, as it always has been, is that Walcott’s pace necessitates teams playing deeper to try and stop him having an impact on games, so even when he’s not playing particularly well, he can have a telling impact on the shape and flow of a game. The West Ham game showed that Wenger has the option of shifting him about to devastating effect, though, and he will need to continue striking this balance depending on the opposition. He will always be a player that divides opinion, with his champions pointing to the most visceral of attributes – his acceleration – as proof that he has something to offer in a central role, while his detractors guffaw at every opportunity he wastes in and around the box as proof that they are right.

Without trying to sit on the fence too much, as the above statistics show, he can clearly contribute equally from both roles and it’s still too early to tell whether he will be a lasting success as a striker, with conclusive proof in short supply. Moreover, we shouldn’t let this positional question mark detract from the qualities he does bring to the side in what is shaping up to be a memorable season from a personal perspective for the player concerned.

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Aston Villa have announced that they have completed a deal to bring Morocco international Karim El Ahmadi to the club from Feyenoord.

The midfielder becomes new Villa boss Paul Lambert’s first signing at the Birmingham-based club, and has put pen to paper on a year-year contract.

The 27-year-old has spoken of his delight at moving to the Premier League and is looking forward to competing for Villa.

“I’m very excited about coming here to a massive club and I’m looking forward to playing here,” El Ahmadi told the club’s official website.

“I’m very happy that the manager wants me and that the club wants me and I’m looking forward to starting training again.

“It’s nice that I am the manager’s first transfer and I am looking forward to doing good things with the team and with the club this year.

“This club should be competing in the top half of the table and I am looking forward to achieving that with the team.

“I came to this club and spoke to the people here and they gave me great confidence in what we can do this year, so I have chosen to come.

“As a player, I always want to have the ball and that is my main quality. I always want the ball and to dictate the game. That’s what I did at Feyenoord and hopefully I can show the fans, the club and the manager my quality,” he concluded.

Lambert is also glad to have made his first purchase as Villa boss, and has stated that the new man will bring competition for places and extra quality to the squad.

“Karim will help the team, I have no doubt about that.

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“He’s a really good footballer and he’s played well in a good team, a big team, and I’m looking forward to working with him.

“In fact, I’m really looking forward to getting things going on Thursday when the lads will report back for pre-season,” he revealed.

By Gareth McKnight

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Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jude Soonsup-Bell is already expected to leave the club at the end of the season on loan to pick up some regular first-team football.

What’s the latest?

The Lilywhites made Soonsup-Bell their first addition of transfer deadline day on Tuesday after the 19-year-old made the move from their London rivals, Chelsea.

Soonsup-Bell put pen to paper on a deal which will see him remain at Spurs until the summer of 2025 after seeing his contract at Chelsea wind down to its final few months.

The 19-year-old is now expected to join up with Tottenham’s U23s side for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, however, it seems as if there may already be plans in place for next season.

Speaking on his latest YouTube video, Alasdair Gold has suggested the youngster is already expected to leave the club over the summer to join a lower-league side to pick up some regular action in the men’s game:

(53:00) “And then I think the plan, from what I understand, is in the summer, he will be sent out on loan to start getting his proper first-team experience.

“Before they look at whether he’s kind of ready to come into the first team environment. You’d imagine in the summer, maybe he’ll be involved in friendlies, and possibly a pre-season tour. Maybe that could have been something that was not promised, but suggested could happen to him in signing.”

Time to step up

Spurs have not been shy in offloading some of their striker prospects in various loan deals with the idea of seeing them develop their trade in the men’s game.

The most obvious is Harry Kane with the England captain being sent out on loan to four different clubs before he made his name in north London.

And the same can be seen currently with their two prospects, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett, who are playing their football at Preston North End and Portsmouth respectively.

However, it is essential Spurs are able to find Soonsup-Bell the right club with the likes of Scarlett and Parrott both enduring recent struggles on their loan spells away.

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It is apparent the 19-year-old is landing at Spurs with a lot of potential having returned 23 goals in 25 games across his time in the Chelsea U18 side in the FA Youth Cup and U18 Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

And speaking in a recent interview, Spurs’ Fabio Paratici has hailed the youngster’s potential: “He is a big talent who was always a big talent in England and when we got the opportunity to sign him, we signed him.”

With Harry Kane nearing his 30th birthday and his long-term future in N17 still unknown, it does seem as if Spurs may be looking to discover the next big striker talent to come from their youth set-up.