Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend with a potentially tricky trip to West Brom on Saturday.

The Gunners go into their clash at the Hawthorns off the back a 5-0 demolition of National League leaders Lincoln City in the FA Cup last weekend, which manager Arsene Wenger will hope can inspire his side to improve their disappointing league form.

The North London side have lost three of their last four league games, with their last outing a frustrating 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

However, one ray of light in the last few weeks or so have been the performances of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has seamlessly taken to the central midfield role, as indicated by his displays against Southampton, Hull and Bayern Munich.

Although he was taken off after 27 minutes due to injury last weekend, which seems to be a familiar tale for the unfortunate 23-year-old, and thus may not feature at West Brom on Saturday, if the England star continues to keep up his fine performances in the middle, he should become Arsenal’s go-to man in that area of the field.

It is a position which has been a problem area for Wenger for a while now, and when you look at his current options, you can see why he hasn’t completely settled on a midfield duo.

Granit Xhaka has clearly got ability and has at times looked excellent in that position, but evidently has disciplinary issues which need sorting – since coming back from suspension after his red card against Burnley, he has been booked in all five of his appearances for the Gunners.

Santi Cazorla currently has a long-term injury, and hasn’t featured for the side since October and may not again given his contract is up in the summer, while Francis Coquelin has not been at his best this term, and Mohamed Elneny hasn’t really had a sustained run in the side due to injury.

And when you weigh up their individual qualities, Cazorla’s technical ability is first class but he’s not the physical presence of Elneny, but is disciplined in a way Xhaka isn’t, they are all attributes which Oxlade-Chamberlain does possess.

The England star is strong and is able to shrug off some of the toughest tacklers in the division, and he has the pace to get forward and affect play in the attacking third, but also the discipline to recognise the demands of the role from a defensive standpoint.

Oxlade-Chamberlain also has the technical abilities to flourish in the role and, if and when he does look to get forward, he has the confidence and purpose to take defenders on and produce key passes at key times.

His appetite to get up and down the pitch is invaluable, and when you consider everything, it’s the 23-year-old who should be Arsenal’s main man in that central midfield area.

To perform the way he did against Bayern suggests that he believes in his ability, and believes that he has got what it takes – he played as if he had a point to prove, to prove that he is the best man in that role.

The former Southampton man is reportedly looking to leave the Emirates after a frustrating lack of first team football over the years, but you sense that his time is about to come, and further impressive displays in the middle of the park will further signify his importance to Wenger in both the present and the future.

Guest post by Marcus Oades.