The return of Olivier Giroud from injury was always going to call into question who the starting forward would be. And what a return it was, as Giroud scored a sensational goal after just 14 minutes of being introduced. Welbeck has done alright since his arrival, but has seen the goals dry up recently, so naturally Giroud’s goal will ask questions of Wenger.

Who should be the main man for Arsenal? Wenger has hinted playing the both of them while pushing Welbeck out wide. Welbeck, as well as gooners, will be annoyed to hear such comments seeing as how Welbeck left United for that exact reason. With the options Arsenal already have on the wings, putting Welbeck there would be a waste for me, not to mention his average at best goal and assist record from the wing.

I don’t buy into it, eventually Wenger will have to choose one or the other (or go and buy Cavani, but that’s another article all together). A part me of leans toward Welbeck, for his pace and movement. It really does add a lot to the team and allows us to stretch our opponents. He works hard for the team, closing down every ball and harassing defenders when they have possession, and this pressure is massive for Arsenal. His lack of consistent  finishing is the only stumbling block for me though, and if he could add that, he would be first choice every week.

On the other hand is Giroud, who is not nearly as quick as Welbeck and doesn’t run in behind as much but is brilliant with the ball at his feet and is second to none at holding the ball up with his back to goal. His ability to retain possession is huge, because it affords Arsenal the time and luxury to get their shape. It also gives players around him the opportunity to exploit the space, which opens up teams in other ways. His finishing is perhaps a hair better than Welbeck’s, although you could argue either way, so the choice is really between which style of play you prefer.

Both are viable. Different, but viable. To be fair to both players, Arsenal would be no better or worse off with either one in the side. I suspect Wenger will go with Giroud going forward, but the position is definitely up for grabs and the man who trains better and scores on a more consistent basis will eventually get the nod. I would still like to see the both of them line up in a 4-4-2, but that seems unlikely.

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