Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Familiarity the key for Arsenal this season

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain believes that the familiarity amongst the Arsenal squad is one of the key factors behind their success this season.

The Gunners booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday night with a 4-0 win over Coventry, and currently lead the Premier League by a point from Manchester City.

We know what to expect with each other and I think you can see that now when we do play

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

And midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain, who started his first game for the north Londoners since August and played 71 minutes on Friday, says that the team spirit amongst the Arsenal squad is as good as ever.

“The main group and the spine of the team has been together for two or three years so it’s starting to form that togetherness,” Oxlade-Chamberlain told Arsenal’s website.

“Knowing each other better on and off the pitch helps our style of play.

“We’ve learnt that everyone has been in and around it for a few years now and we know what the boss expects and how he wants us to go about it.

“We know what to expect with each other and I think you can see that now when we do play. Even when we’re not playing well we know how to grind out results and that’s a big thing.”