After Arsenal were scoring for fun in the first four pre-season games (I am not counting the Community Shield as the Wenger/Mourinho feud made that an important game against Chelsea), it is hard to believe how badly the Gunners have struggled to find the back of the net ever since.
We know that Arsenal can create and score goals but for some reason it is just not happening for us right now. Arsene Wenger suggested this week that these things can come in cycles and before you know it we could be raining goals, but something needs to happen to open those flood gates.
I do think that the manager was unlucky at Newcastle today, because his decision to replace Giroud with Walcott looked like a good one as we dominated the opening proceedings of what was shaping up to be an open game. There was space in behind for Walcott to use his pace and movement, or at least there was until Mitrovic saw red in the 16th minute. After that Theo’s space was gone and it seemed increasingly like we could have done with the physical presence of Giroud in the box.
My question, however, is why not play both of them, with Walcott on the right and Alexis Sanchez on the left of the big man. It might sound simplistic but when you are desperate for goals, would it not make sense to play the players most likely to score? Why not have pace and movement as well as power and hold up play?