Arsenal Vs West Ham United: Don’t forget Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck scored Arsenal’s final goal against West Ham United on Saturday. The reserve striker, as Unai Emery highlights, should not be forgotten.

Unai Emery has been extremely aggressive and proactive with his substitutions so far this season. In all three matches, he has made all three changes by the 75th minute. There were plenty of occasions when Arsene Wenger hadn’t made one change by the 75th minute. It is refreshing to see an Arsenal manager by so forward-thinking and flexible with his tactical substitutions.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

On Saturday against West Ham United, all three changes had a key impact on the game. Alexandre Lacazette provided a critical presence up front, freeing up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and allowing the team to press into higher areas with possession, Lucas Torreira brought legs and energy in midfield, which also allowed Granit Xhaka to play much better, and Danny Welbeck scored the third and final goal with a neat turn and finish.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

After the match, Emery was keen to highlight the impact of his three substitutes and the importance of having a full squad of players that can influence games, not just the starting XI. Speaking in his press conference, Emery stated:

"“We need every player. The first 11 is very important but the players [that come into] the match are very important also, for each match. They can play five minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 45 minutes. We need this. Today in the situation, it made a difference. Laca, Lucas and Welbeck are three very important players. They go onto the pitch and help the team. That’s why I am very happy and we need all the players.”"

I want to particularly highlight Welbeck. He didn’t actually do much in this match — it was a very simple, though nicely taken finish, and was only given 15 minutes of action. But as Emery alludes to, he is someone that is easily overlooked. He shouldn’t be.

Just because Welbeck will never be the 20-goal plus main-man striker who grabs all the headlines and is the name on the back of all the shirts, it is so easy to kind of forget about him. Perhaps it’s his lack of natural technical skill. Maybe it’s the chances that he misses, the gangly, ungainly style, the fact that his greatest attributes are his application, his diligence, his work ethic and his positional flexibility.

In this increasingly flashy, PR-driven world, Welbeck is a bastion of past footballers, the ones who run the hard yards, the ones who do not practice around the worlds and knuckleballs but instead run another couple of suicides. He flies in the face of the modern.

But he should not be ignored. His ten goals each season are invaluable. He performs in the big matches. He is a brilliant foil away from home. He is a lovely weapon to bring off the bench. Do not forget about Danny Welbeck. As Emery recognises, he is crucial to this Arsenal squad.