Arsene Wenger backing Calum Chambers

Arsene Wenger has said he considered replacing Calum Chambers in Arsenal’s goalless draw against Liverpool and revealed that the England defender is struggling with confidence.

Chambers made an impressive start to his Arsenal career following his £16m (€22m) switch from Southampton last summer.

But after being substituted in Arsenal’s defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day, the 20-year-old made only three Premier League starts for the remainder of the season. And he appeared to struggle in Arsenal’s goalless draw against Liverpool on Monday night after forming a makeshift central defensive partnership with Gabriel.

“He has lost a bit of confidence compared to the player he was last year,” said Wenger ahead of his side’s trip to Newcastle at lunchtime today.

“I don’t think it will have killed him to replace him. I did not sub him as I wanted to save my offensive options.

“It gave him time to recover. I looked at how he started again, and if he does not get better I sub him then — you want to win the game and not think too much individually about the player — but he recovered quite well in the second half.”

Chambers was called up by England Under-21s manager Gareth Southgate for the woeful European Championship campaign, but the defender failed to feature, and Wenger believes that may have knocked his self-belief.

“Maybe not playing too much, and the under-21 tournament did not help him on that front as he did not play at all, but I think he will be a very good player,” Wenger said. “I have spoken to him and he’s a strong boy, a dedicated player who loves football, is ready to work day and night and he has the talent. He will be good player.”

Wenger will make a late call on whether Chambers will start at St James’ Park. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny both missed the game against Liverpool and remain doubts.

Meanwhile, Wenger has called for the introduction of video replays after Aaron Ramsey’s wrongly disallowed goal in Arsenal’s draw against Liverpool on Monday night.

Ramsey appeared to have fired Arsenal into the lead during the first half of the Emirates Stadium clash, but his goal was wrongly chalked off. He was flagged offside, but replays proved his goal should have stood.

Wenger said: “Do you think we will play football in 50 years without that [technology]? I don’t believe so.

“I am convinced that it will come in and that the next step will be the offside rule because it is maybe the easiest one to bring in. I believe it will happen on the demand of the referee.”

Asked when the technology may be introduced, Wenger said: “The sooner the better. Tomorrow morning you would have my signature — not because we were punished for that goal against Liverpool — but because you want justice and the right decisions to be made.”

Optimism had been high at Arsenal heading into the new league campaign, but a victory at Crystal Palace has been sandwiched with defeat against West Ham on the opening day and a draw with Liverpool on Monday night.

“We have not had the ideal start and we are conscious of that but we want to play 60 games in the season,” Wenger added.

“We have played three games now and we have lost one that we should not have lost, but we have to be conscious that the season is not decided yet.

“Maybe we are not firing on all cylinders at the moment. Not everybody is ready physically. Certainly at the moment we want it so much at home that we’re trying to force it a little bit.”

Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren will hope to build on a good week for the club, last Saturday’s hard-earned point at Manchester United followed by a 4-1 Capital One Cup second round victory over Northampton in midweek, with new signing Florian Thauvin scoring and provided three assists on his full debut.