Lot’s of talk surrounded Danny Welbeck’s £16million move from Old Trafford to the Emirates on deadline day. Views seemed to be mixed amongst Arsenal fans, some excited by the still young prospect, others not convinced by his far from outstanding goal record. Such speculation is still on going, but I think Welbeck has been a key man for the Gunners.
With 7 goals and 2 assists, his stats don’t read as well as Arsenal’s extraordinary Chilean, but Welbeck brings a dynamic to his game that can easily go unnoticed. His versatility to play numerous positions, tireless running off the ball and unselfishness in creating space and holding it up for others has been key for the Gunners throughout the season so far. As recent as last weekend against Palace, his determination to close down Souare and nip in front of him – drawing the foul which lead to Arsenal’s first – and a fantastic run in behind which lead to Giroud tapping in for the second, was a key example of the key role Welbeck can have, without necessarily finding the back of the net.
His pace, whilst not as electrifying as Walcott’s or Sanchez’s, is still a key attribute to his game, something he displayed with devastating effect when he scored his first professional hat-trick as the Gunners swept aside Galatasaray in the Champions League.
However, Welbeck’s finishing still has a lot to be desired and I’m sure there are a handful of highlights of him fluffing his lines that’ll demonstrate this. Despite his hit and miss record in front of goal, on numerous occasions when it’s mattered, he’s been on hand to score some important goals. Earlier in the season in an uninspired and frustrating performance against West Brom, he was the first to react to a floated ball from Cazorla, arriving to meet it with a great leap, powering it past Ben Foster to secure victory, and once again highlighting his superb athletic ability.
He showed his versatility at Villa Park with a pinpoint assist for Özil, followed by a poacher’s finish which helped Arsenal dismantle an admittedly poor Villa side in a devastating 3 minute rout and his smart movement was on show again as he found himself in the right place inside the 6 yard box to slide home in a fantastic win away at Upton Park.
And this is why I think Welbeck was a good buy.
Whilst he hasn’t had the devastating effect in front of goal that new arrivals like Costa and Sanchez have had, his endless running, smart movement and unselfishness to create space is something Arsenal rely on. When he arrived, the general consensus was that he’d be competing for a place with Olivier Giroud in a central role, however, in recent weeks – since his return – it’s Theo Walcott that Welbeck’s been keeping out the team. Despite his complaints at being played ‘out wide’ at Man United, Welbeck’s adapted well for Arsenal. With consistent game time and a slightly freer, rotating role than he was allowed at United, he seems to be more accepting of his frequent place out on the wing. But he himself has acknowledged the battle for a spot in the starting 11, telling reporters this week that “There’s a lot of attacking options which gives the manager a good headache to have,” and you’d have to agree with him.
Although I don’t think Thierry Henry’s 227 goal club record is under threat from him, I think Danny Welbeck can become a hugely important player over the next few seasons and I’m sure all doubters will warm to his infectious and highly evident passion for the game. On the back of the likes of Wright, Henry and van Persie, I think fans were hoping for a similarly clinical striker to don the red and white, but the other side of the coin is a struggling and seemingly uncontrollable Italian that some Arsenal fans cried out for, warming Liverpool’s bench on a weekly basis and frustrating fans, players and managers alike. It looks like history is repeating itself, and once again, Arsene knew best.
