Arsenal vs Reading: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott driving each other on, says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger feels that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott are driving one another on to new heights as they continue to impress this season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain scored both goals as Arsenal beat Reading 2-0 on Tuesday night in the League Cup and booked their place in the quarter-finals. The winger now has five goals this season while Walcott, who was rested at the Emirates Stadium, has eight.

“Yes, they are lifting each other,” Wenger said after the match. “Alex is following Walcott on the same way. They are fighting each other too but they can play on both flanks as well.”

The Frenchman put Oxlade-Chamberlain’s improved strike-rate down to belief and hard work. “I feel before sometimes he acted in front of goal like he didn’t deserve to score. He has now added belief to his finishing. Now you hope that something can happen every time he has the ball. He is of course powerful but he finishes well – he has added that to his game. That is linked to confidence and he has worked very hard in training.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain recently said he would have to consider his Arsenal future if he didn’t start more games but Wenger said on Tuesday night he was close to the first team.

“He is not a long way away from the starting 11,” Wenger said. “He played against Ludogorets in the Champions League and tonight. He came on against Boro. He is regularly involved. To start [more regularly] he just has continue to work like he does and play with the same spirit.”

So, what has Wenger seen that has changed in the England winger? “The quality of his concentration, his focus is sharper, he is more determined,” Wenger said. “He has worked a lot mentally to be focused and it comes out every day in training and now is starting to come out in the games.

“He is not a young player anymore. He is now 23. At 23 you become a football player. Before 23 you learn – after 23 you become more consistent, you know what is expected of you. You learn how to deal with pressure, expectation.”

Wenger was also pleased with the performances of Rob Holding and teenagers Ashley Maitland-Niles and Jeff Reine-Adelaide, but also Carl Jenkinson who played his first Arsenal game for 898 days following injury and loan spells.

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“It was fantastic to see him back – I don’t count him as a young player anymore but he played well, had no fitness problems at all so he prepared well physically.”

The Reading manager Jaap Stam said the match was a great learning curve for his team. “We tried to get a result,” the Dutchman said. “But they have quality players – and a big squad. We wanted to make it hard, press high. Make them play long. We tried.

“Our passing and accuracy was not always what it could have been. But they have a squad of 65 players to choose from. We haven’t."

Of the first goal, which was a defensive error, Stam was phlegmatic. “We try to play possession. Sometimes you make mistakes. You need to make mistakes to learn from them. I don’t blame the guys because that is how we want to play. If you don’t learn from it – you are not good enough.”