Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott need to play first-team football, according to Arsenal great Thierry Henry.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has only completed 90 minutes for Arsenal on one occasion this season, scoring only a single goal in 22 appearances this season.
Walcott meanwhile can only boast two completed matches for Arsenal in the league this season. A severely underwhelming return for the longest-serving Gunners player at Arsene Wenger’s disposal.
“I think Theo is a talent and obviously people keep on saying he is young,” Henry told Sky Sports.
“But he has been in the game for a very long time. The thing I have always mentioned about Theo is can he be a starter? Has he been a starter since he has been at Arsenal? It’s 10 years or so now since he’s been at Arsenal, has he played 30 games a season in the league?
“I think it’s time for Theo, whether it’s at Arsenal or not, and I’m not saying he should leave or not because that is out of my hands, but he needs to start to play every time.
“He needs to start being the first name on the teamsheet. That is very important and it’s the same for Ox – those guys need to play. It can be at Arsenal because we know how talented they are but even if it’s not, those guys need to play wherever it is.”
Following Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Brom, which saw Alexis Sanchez net a brace, the Gunners find themselves in third place on 63 points, two points ahead of Manuel Pellegrini’s Man City.
Furthermore, the Gunners’ next game sees them travel up north to face a struggling Sunderland side.
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