Arsenal: Danny Welbeck may have had his last chance

Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck didn’t impress many with his lacklustre performance against FK Ostersunds. Was this his last chance to prove himself?

Danny Welbeck got a surprise start Thursday against Ostersund FK in the Europa League. With Alexandre Lacazette injured and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cup-tied, this was his opportunity to prove himself.

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Welbeck has had a troubled and inconsistent Arsenal career. Since joining Arsenal in 2014, he has only 69 Premier League appearances and 13 goals. But while the domestic toils have perhaps slighted his development, for England, Welbeck has proven himself time and time again. 15 goals in just 36 caps tells you everything you need to know.

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Welbeck’s North London tenure has been plagued by injuries and goal droughts. He is now 27 years old. He is in right in the heart of a striker’s prime. Welbeck, unfortunately, though, doesn’t get many opportunities to showcase his abilities just when it matters most.

Thursday’s game saw Welbeck break into the starting XI for the first time since January 14th, when he again failed to deliver as the Gunners slumped to a 2-1 loss. Welbeck played alongside Alexandre Lacazette then, and both players looked short on confidence missing clear-cut opportunities.

Compared to Lacazette, Welbeck is a more physical player, with the pace and the strength to hold up the ball or to run into the channels. Often, however, despite these physical gifts, he looks lost and uninterested. His first touch is continually poor, his dribbling is a little loose, and his finishing lacks the conviction and assurance that all top-tier centre-forwards boast.

Many of these weaknesses were on show during the 3-0 win over FK Ostersunds on Thursday night. His movement was unwise and lost, his finishing was especially wayward, namely skewing a first-time effort midway, and he failed to take advantage of the rare opportunity to start.

It should be stated that he didn’t get much in the way of service. It was eerily similar to Olivier Giroud. Both need service, whether in the air or to their feet, and without it, they look lost. But even with the limited service that he did get, Welbeck did little to suggest that he can be relied upon throughout the Europa League campaign, especially when the better teams come calling.

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With more competition than ever with the two club-record signings of Lacazette and Aubameyang in just six months, Welbeck will have to work harder than ever to regain his position. With the World Cup looming, Welbeck may well be hoping for more chances to prove himself. Maybe, though, he should just work on getting better for Arsenal first.