Has Mikel Arteta Found the Perfect Adaptable Defender in Calum Chambers for Arsenal?

Arsenal fans rarely seem to agree on their defensive setup, and club manager Mikel Arteta has similar problems. However, English defender Calum Chambers might be the answer to a lot of the questions.

The 26-year-old has been at Arsenal ever since 2014, but it just never seemed to work out for him. He has made just 72 appearances for the club, but Arsenal rewarded him with a new contract. It is a show of trust from Mikel Arteta, who might really believe that Chambers is the best right back at the club.

He has played at centre-back, too, but he has found a home at right-back this season. Hector Bellerin’s terrible form and injuries have ensured that the Spanish right-back is out of favour with the club’s Spanish manager. However, Chamber’s form has ensured that Arteta doesn’t really need to play Bellerin.

The Englishman’s crosses are good (his two assists in 10 premier league games is a testament to that), he is defensively sound, and he provides a calm head while building up play. Chambers has come back from his injury and made a decisive impact on the team.

He is a young, homegrown player who can be a useful commodity as a transfer target in the future. His performances have piqued the attention of several English clubs, and this new deal will help Arsenal protect his value. Meanwhile, he provides Arteta with a unique skill set that only he possesses. Arsenal could do well with a player like Calum Chambers in their ranks.

Calum Chambers: A huge difference in numbers

Chambers recorded three assists last season (in all competitions), which is much better than his normal output, and he also improved his passing as he has a passing accuracy of 84%. He tackles with a success rate of 58%, and while the sample size is relatively smaller, this is really good compared to some other players competing for his spot.

Hector Bellerin has two assists in 24 Premier League appearances and also passes at an accuracy rate of 84%. However, his tackling is slightly weaker at a success rate of 50%, and his output is lesser than Chambers’s despite playing less than half the amount of games as Bellerin.

Meanwhile, Cedric’s numbers are worse than both Bellerin and Chambers. He doesn’t look like he’ll have a future at the club, and maybe it is a good thing in the long run for Arsenal. Right now they have a good squad player on their hands in Calum Chambers and Arteta would do good to keep a hold of the young man.

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