Let’s be honest, every Arsenal fan expected Arsene Wenger to make a few changes for their Europa League meeting with Cologne on Thursday evening.
A safe passage to the knock-out rounds had already been secured before the international break, so it was widely expected that Wenger would rest some of his first team regulars and use the opportunity to give a few of his fringe players a run out.
One of those fringe players was defender Calum Chambers, who has yet to secure regular first team football at The Emirates since returning from his season-long loan at Middlesbrough last season.
The 22-year-old, who signed for Arsenal from Southampton in 2014, has made most of his appearances for the club in a central defensive role, so it came as something of a surprise when a starting lineup graphic tweeted by the club appeared to show him occupying a right wing-back position.
📋 How we line up for tonight’s clash with @fckoeln… #COLvAFC pic.twitter.com/pz95afRnB5
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 23, 2017
Although many initially assumed this had been a mistake, it soon came to be known that Chambers was indeed playing in a more advanced position with Mathieu Debuchy – a player many saw as a better fit for this role – slotting in as part of a three-man defence.
Seeing Calum Chambers at right wing back has me like… pic.twitter.com/2QLGpVxAyt
— Andreas (@KamikazeSwede) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/gunnerblog/status/933762677096185856
Chambers is actually playing a wing back. Interesting from Wenger. Thought Debuchy would play there. #COLvAFC #Arsenal
— Oleksiy (@alex_ukr24) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/JamesCann17/status/933759734502567936
Don't understand why Callum Chambers is playing as a wing back and Debuchy is playing at centre back? Swap them back round 😂
— Yousuf Alijah (@Y_alii10) November 23, 2017
Debuchy at CB and Chambers at wing back pic.twitter.com/MLa4JGfhSd
— JG (@HighburyJoe) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/Flannyballs/status/933743469423624192
https://twitter.com/flywale/status/933757023891664896
Chambers at wing back seen it all now with wenger😂🙈
— Rossi (@RMcCarthy98) November 23, 2017
