Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 7y

Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: I've adapted game to add goals

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has said his improved goal-scoring form this season is down to playing more like Theo Walcott and making runs in behind defenders.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has notched up six goals and six assists in all competitions, his best return for the club, despite making more substitute appearances than starts.

The England international told Arsenal Magazine he had been trying to take up more dangerous positions and added: "This year I've just worked mostly on making runs in behind and trusting the boys to find you with balls over the top.

"In the past, maybe where I've been more of a midfielder than a forward, I was more used to coming to the ball and wanting to get the ball, so I was picking up the ball in deeper positions."

Walcott and Mesut Ozil are also both on course to notch their best-ever scoring returns for Arsenal, having netted 11 and nine goals so far.

"If you look at all the goal-scorers, I think Theo does it amazingly well -- he runs in behind and he finishes," Oxldae-Chamberlain said.

"Alexis is always making runs in behind, and Mesut as well. That's where you have success, when you get in behind defences, that's when you're most dangerous.

"That wasn't always a natural part of my game. As I said, being more of a midfielder I was always more lingering on the edge of the box for the ball to come back out or being the person that's crossing the ball, so I've tried to work on that this year."

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