Arsenal have a number of right back’s who could all arguably be in the first-team. The likes of Mathieu Debuchy, Carl Jenkinson and Calum Chambers are all vying for a place in the side but are comfortably behind one man in the side – Hector Bellerin.
Since the Spaniard was called up and into the Arsenal first-team against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, he has not allowed any of his teammates, bar when injured, the opportunity to get back into the side.
The 21-year-old’s sheer brilliance and consistency forced Jenkinson into leaving on loan to West Ham United for two seasons in a row – and while the England international impressed during his first campaign at the east London side, his following year was hindered by inconsistent performances and ultimately, he became a rotated player. His time at the club came to a sharp end when a tackle on Sergio Aguero led to him damaging ligaments in his knee, forcing Jenkinson into returning to north London in order to rehabilitate.
The situation was similar for Debuchy. The 30-year-old defender is by no means not worthy of a starting place at a club like Arsenal – but the fact of the matter is that Bellerin is nine years his junior and arguably already a better footballer. With the European Championship coming up in his home nation and Debuchy’s place in France’s squad far from secure, he knew that he needed minutes to have any fighting chance of being involved. A loan move to Bordeaux on Deadline Day last January was finalised and low and behold, the ex-Newcastle United defender went on to become a regular starter, before picking up an injury. which has limited him to just four games for the French side. His last came on 19th February against Nice.
Up step 18-year-old Chiori Johnson.
The teenager, who featured in Arsenal under-18’s FA Youth Cup semi final defeat to Manchester City, could be the man who forces both Debuchy and Jenkinson into considering their futures elsewhere.
Johnson is a fast, intelligent footballer who sums up the modern day full back – full of attacking talent but remains sound defensively. Up against talented Aaron Nemane and with Arsene Wenger looking on from the stands, Johnson more than held his own in the battle between the two. When the City man attempted to step inside, Johnson’s positional awareness and athleticism allowed him into a position where he was never vulnerable, while if shown on the outside the Arsenal defender, with support from Reiss Nelson throughout the game, ensured that the winger was kept quiet. In the end, Nemane was forced into switching wings to try and have some joy in the game.
The 18-year-old Arsenal defender only recently returned from an injury which had kept him out for seven months but after two injuries and a long period of rehabilitation, Johnson came straight back into the fold ahead of Tafari Moore and shows no signs of letting up.
With Johnson just a teenager and plenty to learn, it’s unlikely that he’ll find his way into the first-team by next season but with Debuchy no younger and hungry for game time, the Frenchman is likely to leave in the summer, while Jenkinson must work his way back to fitness and even when he gets there, is clearly not content playing second fiddle. This leaves just one man in the way of Johnson becoming back-up to Bellerin – Calum Chambers.
The ex-Southampton defender was purchased as a right back but has been utilised in a number of different roles and Wenger has confirmed that he wants to see Chambers’ future being in a role through the middle. This means that, while he has played him at right back in recent FA Cup games, he has no intention of keeping Chambers there and won’t look to keep on featuring him out wide in the fear that he gets used to the role.
Wenger is more than happy to give confidence to his players and put them into the first-team from a young age instead of buying from overseas and with Johnson impressing for the under-21s so early on in his Arsenal career, he could find himself battling his way into the first-team in the next couple of seasons.
