Usually at the beginning of a new season, Arsenal come out strong and are amongst the top sides in the country, challenging for the position at the Premier League summit.
However this year, the Gunners are well below their average after seven games of the campaign – in which they currently sit eighth – under fierce rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsene Wenger has found it difficult to select his best line-up due to injuries and his players’ poor form, resulting in the manager chopping and changing his side, which hasn’t provided the Gunners with any consistency.
Some players are also on the fringes of the first-team, and these stars will be looking towards the international break to perform and hopefully get the nod to play in upcoming fixtures.
Here are THREE Arsenal players that need to prove themselves during the International Break.
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Danny Welbeck
He might have scored a hat-trick for the Gunners last week in the UEFA Champions League, but English striker Danny Welbeck will need to prove to the Arsenal faithful that he has it in him to score on a much more consistent basis.
Arsenal paid £16millon to Manchester United on deadline day for Welback after the long-term injury to Olivier Giroud, and it was expected that the former United attacker has the potential to grow into a player like club legend Thierry Henry.
But when faced with tougher opponents like Chelsea this past weekend, Welbeck looked lethargic and incapable of making an impact. However with England playing San Marino and the Estonia in the Euro 2016 Qualifiers, Welbeck has the perfect opportunity to please his new supporters he was the right man to be signed to replace the crocked Giroud.
Mesut Ozil
Arsenal fans are incredibly quick in changing their opinions of a particular player, and that can be easily noticed when they comment on Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil.
Only two week ago, fans were blasting the World Cup winner for being uninterested and slow and being a player nowhere near the reputation that comes with his club-record-breaking £42.5million purchase.
But then after the Gunners’ 3-0 away win against Aston Villa – in which Ozil scored and assisted another – he was being hailed as a genius will take the Premier League by storm.
Since then Ozil has played two league games – against Spurs and Chelsea – in which he once again looked like a peripheral figure.
During the International Break, Ozil’s Germany will be facing tricky opponents in Poland and The Republic of Ireland, and if he wants to avoid getting booed by his own Arsenal fans he will need to make sure he performs admirably for his country over the coming weeks.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
It seems like a long time ago that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was touted as the next big thing in English football, however the midfielder is still only 21 years of age and still has time on his side.
Yet despite his obvious talents while on the field, Arsene Wenger has been reluctant to use Chamberlain as a starter with the wealth of talent at the Frenchman’s disposal.
Therefore the International Break gives the Southampton youth product a huge chance to show Wenger, and his national team manager, he is ready to take the next step and become first choice starter.
If Chamberlain consistently performs well for his country, then Wenger may be forced to use him or risk losing him if another Premier League club become interested in his services.