Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: It's a massive honour to play for Arsenal
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain admits Arsenal have not been good enough in recent weeks, but said the players' pride of being able to represent the club helped them onto a hard-fought 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Monday.
The Gunners responded to losing 3-0 to London rivals Crystal Palace last week by beating relegation battlers Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Monday night.
The victory - secured by goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil - ensured Arsenal did not suffer their fifth straight away defeat in the league while it also kept the north Londoners' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive.
After the game, Oxlade-Chamberlain - who shone in an unfamiliar right wing-back role - conceded that the players needed to take responsibility for their poor performances of late but insisted the team had worked hard to adapt to a change in formation to beat Boro.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "We have not been good enough, we need to take responsibility for that and today we had to win.
"We had to get back to basics, it's a massive honour to play for a team like Arsenal, you have to give 100% and maybe that's been slipping recently."
When then asked about Arsene Wenger's decision to switch to a three-man back line, Oxlade-Chamberlain replied: "The formation was something new, a change, but we adapted well to it.
"It worked well in the first half especially."
Oxlade-Chamberlain: It's a massive honour to play for ArsenalArsenalMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough FCPremier LeagueMiddlesbrough 1-2 Arsenal: It's a massive honour to play for Arsenal, insists Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Gunners secure win at Riverside StadiumIn Pictures | Middlesbrough vs Arsenal | 17/04/2017
In Pictures | Middlesbrough vs Arsenal | 17/04/2017
-
1/31
REUTERS
-
2/31
PA
-
3/31
PA
-
4/31
REUTERS
-
5/31
REUTERS
-
6/31
REUTERS
-
7/31
REUTERS
-
8/31
REUTERS
-
9/31
REUTERS
-
10/31
REUTERS
-
11/31
Getty Images
-
12/31
Getty Images
-
13/31
Getty Images
-
14/31
Getty Images
-
15/31
REUTERS
-
16/31
Getty Images
-
17/31
REUTERS
-
18/31
REUTERS
-
19/31
PA
-
20/31
REUTERS
-
21/31
REUTERS
-
22/31
EPA
-
23/31
REUTERS
-
24/31
PA
-
25/31
REUTERS
-
26/31
REUTERS
-
27/31
REUTERS
-
28/31
Getty Images
-
29/31
Getty Images
-
30/31
Getty Images
-
31/31
Getty Images