Arsenal: Giroud Injury Does Not Mean Alexis’s Return To Striker

Arsenal figures to be without Olivier Giroud when they travel to Stamford Bridge, but that doesn’t mean that Alexis should be a shoe-in for striker duties.

Arsenal faces the moment of truth against Chelsea this weekend. Win and the title hopes and dreams can live on, if only for a little bit longer. Lose or draw and you might as well throw in the towel.

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Therefore Wenger can leave nothing up to chance, but I have a tremendous fear that he will.

I can see it already. I have been building this moment up in my head all week. With Giroud out, I want to see Alexis on the left, Danny Welbeck up front, Iwobi/Wacott/Lucas on the right. It doesn’t even matter who is on the right. Arsenal will be a speed machine and with how much space they figure to get in behind the Blues, it’s going to be magnificent.

It worked immaculately against Southampton and while Chelsea is obviously a different ballgame, they do figure to hold a much higher line than the Saints, meaning the possibilities are pretty limitless.

But knowing Wenger, he is going to outsmart himself, move Alexis up front and give Walcott priority over Welbeck, starting Theo and Iwobi on the wings.

Which, don’t get me wrong, isn’t a terrible idea. It would work nicely in and of itself, but why settle for, yet again, what we already know and what our opponents already know, when you can change things up with a much higher ceiling for success?

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Danny Welbeck has strength and height that would give an added angle of the attack for this front line. Just ask Leicester City. His speed is right up there with Alexis and as we saw against the Saints, his technical ability may well have improved while he was out injured.

Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. Start your best possible players in their best possible position. It may not be that simple, but when you get down to it, next to Alexis and Ozil, I feel that Welbeck is the next most important player to be assured of a start. Maybe my optimism is getting the better of me, but I don’t think so.

What it really comes down to is, of these three, which two you want to start: Danny Welbeck, Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott.

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Danny Welbeck should be the first name chosen, which puts him at striker. Just do it.