Arsene Wenger's big mistake cost Arsenal two points against Liverpool

LONDON – Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has a problem, and this one has nothing to do with Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud and the Gunners’ lack of firepower at the tip of the attack.

Wenger seemingly does not know his best 11. In particular, the Frenchman has overlooked Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain far too often, and on Monday night against Liverpool, that error in judgment cost Arsenal two points in a 0-0 draw at the Emirates.

Well, the linesman’s error in judgment actually cost Arsenal two points, but the Arsenal boss cannot control the flag waving on the sidelines.

Wenger has made it clear that Mesut Ozil is his No.10, even if the German international actually dons the No. 11 shirt. Alexis Sanchez was Arsenal’s best player in the first half of last season and continues to be the Gunners’ most consistent attacking threat. Francis Coquelin emerged as Arsenal’s best ball winner, and the Frenchman now acts as the white unicorn that was missing from deep in the Gunners' midfield for the past decade.

With two spots open in the midfield, Wenger must choose between Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

One of those spots is on the right wing. Oxlade-Chamberlain has done enough to secure his place on the outside, and the 22-year-old England international offers pace and threatening play that fits the outside wing naturally. In truth, Wenger’s forehead-cringing decision is picking between Cazorla and Ramsey to play alongside Coquelin in the middle of the park. In reality, however, Wenger has opted to stick Ramsey on the outside and sit Cazorla in the middle with "the Ox" watching a fruitless attack from the sidelines.

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Murmurs at the Emirates and across London all scream the same line: Oxlade-Chamberlain must play.

Against Liverpool, Ramsey failed to run past his defender or add width to Arsenal’s attack. His best contributions came when he switched inside and Ozil jumped out on the wing because, well, Ramsey is not a wing player. The Welsh international has ability in front of goal, takes up intelligent positions and is a solid link-up player, but he lacks the speed or the bag of tricks required to operate in the wide areas. Oxlade-Chamberlain has suitcases full of those tricks along with the confidence to attack defenders with the ball at his feet.

Of course, the argument could be made that the gaffer is using the young speedster as a super sub to take advantage of a tired team on its last legs. Well, against Liverpool, Oxlade-Chamberlain came on in the 82nd minute of a 0-0 game. Over those final eight minutes, he proved to be the liveliest Gunner, but he deserved more than eight minutes and stoppage time to make the difference. Twenty minutes or a half hour of play could have put forth the super-sub argument, but eight minutes is a last-ditch attempt to simply try the obvious in the hopes that it works. It nearly did, too.

Why does Wenger choose Ramsey over Oxlade-Chamberlain? A couple of seasons ago, Ramsey started the 2013-14 Premier League campaign with eight goals and six assists in the domestic league before a thigh injury on Dec. 26, 2013 ruled out the Welshman until April. When Ramsey left, Arsenal was top of the table. By the end of the season, the Gunners finished fourth. Ramsey showed enough potential to vie for Player of the Year, and Wenger seemingly struggles to overlook the 24-year-old despite the fact that he primarily played through the middle that season.

If Ramsey is so good, why not simply choose him over Cazorla? Last season, Cazorla proved to be Arsenal’s best player for the second half of the season. When Sanchez tired from carrying the load in the campaign's first half, Cazorla came through to help the team finish third and secure an automatic bid in the Champions League.

Picking between Ramsey and Cazorla is not easy, but Oxlade-Chamberlain is Arsenal’s best option on the right wing. On Monday night, Wenger’s inability to bench either Cazorla or Ramsey probably cost him two vital points against a Liverpool side that looks stout enough to challenge the Gunners’ status in the top four.

If Wenger does not get firm and make a decision on sitting either Ramsey or Cazorla, Arsenal’s league challenge could be over before it ever starts. Even finishing in the top four could be in danger.

Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports helping cover the global game. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA and @perfectpass