Arsenal vs Chelsea: Fate intervening on behalf of Danny Welbeck
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal were facing a tough decision fitting four players into three positions, but fate seems to be stepping in on behalf of Danny Welbeck.
Arsenal‘s match-up against Chelsea is obviously a rather big deal. It would be a bit of an inopportune time for a significant absence to be swooping into the club, but that is precisely what the Gunners are facing, as Mesut Ozil is mysteriously out with an injury that doesn’t seem to require any specificity.
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On the bright side, this spares a selection headache for Arsene Wenger. We had been debating all week about whose head would be lopped off in the attack. With a front three, the go-to always felt like it was going to be Alexandre Lacazette, Alexis Sanchez and Ozil.
After all, given history and talent, there was no debating, really.
And then Danny Welbeck decided to become Pele for the start of the season and was even given priority over Lacazette in a move that proved to be ridiculously stupid and end with the embarrassing loss against Liverpool.
But other than that, Welbeck has the second most goals in the league, he accounts for over 50% of Arsenal’s total goals and that’s where the selection headache came from. Four guys to fit three positions.
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I wanted to see Alexis have to work his way back into the starting XI, but it seemed far more likely that he would be handed the role and Welbeck would take a back seat.
Fate didn’t seem to want that to happen. Fate wanted to give Danny Welbeck a chance at a big away game. Keep in mind that Arsenal have yet to score an away goal this year.
There comes a time when you just can’t sit a guy. No matter what that means. If Welbeck can put up a convincing performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, then you just can’t sit him.
And I don’t mean convincing as in show a lot of effort. I mean convincing as in contributing to goals (yes, plural) and proving that he is over the hump of being tremendously inconsistent.
You don’t often see good fortune intervene for Arsenal players. Just ask Jack Wilshere. So hopefully Welbeck will have the tools necessary to turn this good fortune into something more palpable. Like goals.
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Either way, we should be excited about Ozil’s absence, for the sake of optimism and for the sake of Danny Welbeck. How awesome would it feel to get the best out of the Beast before Alexis leaves us?