Arsenal

Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 'studying Dani Alves'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 26 May 2017

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says that he has been 'studying' Dani Alves in recent weeks after being deployed in a wing-back role for Arsenal.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed that he has been 'studying' Dani Alves in recent weeks as the England international continues to impress in a wing-back position for Arsenal.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, 23, has been deployed in a right wing-back role for the Gunners over the last few matches, with head coach Arsene Wenger's switch to a 3-4-3 formation seeing an improvement in results.

Despite spending the majority of his career as a midfielder, Oxlade-Chamberlain has said that he has been taking cues from Juventus's Alves ahead of this weekend's FA Cup final with Premier League champions Chelsea.

"When I've watched teams that play with five at the back and wing-backs, I've looked at their starting positions and positions out of possession because that comes a little bit more unnaturally to me," Oxlade-Chamberlain told reporters.

"I take note of anyone when they play. Tottenham [Hotspur] play with that formation, Chelsea play with that formation. There's a lot of teams who have played with that formation, so I watch all the full-backs, the left-back, the right-back.

"When I've watched Dani Alves recently, he might not play the five at the back, but the way he plays, he marches on and he adds a lot in an attacking sense as well as defensively. Players like that, you watch and you learn from them."

Either Oxlade-Chamberlain or Hector Bellerin will fill the right wing-back role for Arsenal against Chelsea.