Oxlade-Chamberlain says one trophy can lead to more

Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is confident Arsenal’s next trophy will be the catalyst for an era of success for Arsene Wenger’s new generation.

The Gunners head to Wembley today to take on holders Wigan for a place in next month’s FA Cup final, and a shot at ending nine campaigns without a trophy. Oxlade-Chamberlain insists that while the current squad are not burdened by the weight of expectation, they are conscious of what ending the best part of a barren decade would mean for the future.

“I have been here for three seasons and others have only joined this season so, in a way, as a club, it is weighing on us, but as players it is not like that,” he said. “We have all come together as a fairly new squad and for the time we have been together, we have been building ourselves up to a moment like this.

“When people say it has been weighing on the club heavily, the players are fully aware of that and we want to make that right. But as a group of players, the most important thing is that we have been gelling together over a fairly short period of time, maybe two or three years.

“So for us it is just trying to do the basics right and working together as a team to win a trophy.”

Photos of Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ side of 2003/04 adorn the walls of Arsenal’s London Colney base, and Oxlade-Chamberlain is confident the latest generation can cement their own place in Arsenal history over the coming seasons.

“With the pictures around the training ground, that would be nice. It is just good to get into winning ways, to win a trophy, to be able to go the whole journey as a team and win it.

“It is definitely a springboard and a confidence boost going on to the future.”

The Arsenal midfielder, though, knows there can be no dreaming of a piece of his own Wembley glory in May just yet, as Wigan will want their say.

“We don’t think we are massive favourites and they are underdogs. We know it will be really hard,” he said.

“If they can beat Man City, on their day they can beat us, and it is our responsibility to make sure that does not happen by not taking anything for granted and approaching the game in the right manner.

“We know what is in store and what they are capable of, so we need to give them the respect they deserve and do what we need to do as a team.”