With Arsenal having to do without the first choice centre forward Olivier Giroud due to the Frenchman’s ankle injury, Arsene Wenger must have been a little concerned about where the Gunners’ goals were going to come from after the international break.
Both of his options, Yaya Sanogo and new boy Danny Welbeck have not exactly been banging them in recently, so the boss will be absolutely delighted that they both scored on international duty and so should return to north London confident and buzzing.
So I wonder if Wenger is thinking about using both of the strikers in the Premier League clash with Man City on Saturday, because he could. Welbeck, although preferring to play through the middle, is well used to playing on the left of a front three, allowing the young French striker to lead the line.
But I think that is unlikely and that we will start with the former United man and maybe Lukas Podolski on the left. But depending on how the game is going and how well the front line is working, Sanogo could come on as an impact sub, with his long legs, pace and power to give a tiring Man City defence a hard time.
The 21-year old is coming off the back of three international goals in two games for the France under 21 side and it would be a shame not to try to use that to our advantage, especially as he is desperate to get that first senior goal for Arsenal in the bag. What do you think?
Why not?
Scoring goals for the under 21’s is nothing like facing Man City!
@Dee@ease
Scorin goals is scorin goals. At least dude puts in the work to try and make it happen…
Ahead of welbeck?
@th14
As I wrote before”Why not?”
The only players on our team Wellbeck has an on pitch understanding with are Ox, Chambers and Jack. Who are more than likely not going to be starters. He still has to adapt to our style of play.
So it’s YaYa for me…
Sanogo doesn’t offer the offence we need. He will just get bullied by Kompany and Demichelis/Mangala, we don’t have the players to beat city with a physical approach. I would go for a more pacey attack, one to get in behind City’s defence and open them up with quick passing and clever movement, that’s their weakness – I’d start Alexis as striker. Ox on the right and Campbell on the left, Özil in the middle (Cazorla if Özil is still injured). Maybe sub Welbeck on in the second half to add some energy, but I wouldn’t start him, he hasn’t had any time to gel with the team.
@Mick The Gooner
Sound…
I definitely think Welbeck needs this opportunity to start as cf for us.
Both players have the momentum from a successful international break, but they were different levels.
Sanogo scored vs an under 21 side, and when I saw his goals, they weren’t exactly world class, and I think Hart would have saved the 1st and 3rd.
Welbeck however scored vs a decent Switzerland side, and the 2nd one was clinical.
Welbeck has to start…bring on Sanogo on for the last 10-15. CoYG.
@JStarr
All goals aint “WorldClass” dude. But all goals are capable of winning matches…
Know the difference…
Stfu…it’s obvious you lemon. Welbecks 1st goal was a tap in that came of his shin. A goals a goal.
His 2nd is being compared to the technique Henry has, all over the internet. They even have a vine with Henry’s and welbecks goal side by side.
A goal is a goal, but a World class finish can beat a good keeper.
@JStarr
Any well placed shot can beat a good keeper dude. Watch some matches and see…
And you can save the “internet tough guy” act. It don’t wash in real time…
No!i’d start welbeck!
Welbeck, podolski or joel campbell would be better options for me!
No he shouldn’t start,Sanogo actually needs a loan to a bottom half team like Sunderland or something,he shouldn’t be in a team playing champions league football
He has already proved you wrong. He played very well against Liverpool and Bayern last season. The lad has the potential and the manager trusts in him. What he needs now is SUPPORT.
No he hasn’t proven me wrong he’s scored a grand total of zero goals for Arsenal in official games,none of the other top teams have an injury prone 21 year old leading the line in big games,what he needs is a LOAN!!
Starting Sanogo over Welbeck would have been a madness of the highest order. Although, Sanogo had a fantastic international outing but Welbeck had a better one. Keep shooting gunners
Poldolski Sanchez and Sanogo
Welbeck out
You go out.
His goals did not impress at all
I bet you were called ‘Giroud out’ earlier.
No, he’s f*cking shit. Scoring for the U21’s doesn’t count and is irrelevant. I don’t blame Sanogo to be honest, it was just a pointless, needless waste to bring Sanogo in in the first place, we may aswell of got Connor Wickam at the time, although there’s a difference, Connor Wickam actually knows how to score goals in the premier league.
Welbeck clinching Manu bag, he just came to us cause he couldn’t cut it there.
Why do we want reject
It probably a ploy by van gaal, watch Welbeck score own goal and miss sitters on purpose
ur either a sp@dhead or an angry manure fan..
change site pls
‘Welbeck out’ OUT
Starting lineup against City should be:
Szszesny
Debuchy Mert Kos Gibbs(if fit)
Arteta(if fit) Ramsey
Ox Ozil Sanchez
Welbeck
Bench: Ospina, Monreal, Chambers, Flamini, Wilshere, Cazorla, Podolski/Sanogo
@Matt
Is Ozil still out for the game against Man City ?
i think of caz/ozil as doing the same role, so if ozil injured, caz can fill in.
what about playing roz there? lots of energy: can he thread passes to ox/sanchez/welbeck?
i’d love to see a fast arsenal counter-attack on manshitty
That team is exactly how I would go.
Good work Matt.
Great minds, and all that 😉
Switch Poldolski for Welbeck and it good.
Think he must go on loan
Don’t you guys like Poldolski and Sanchez in same team.
Really thumb that down, you don’t want to win
Monreal.
Cause right now he is in the flow of things.
Also assisting the equalizer against Everton must have done his confidence a world of good.
Gibbs is just returning. Let him rest a game or two.
Gibbs ozil and arteta are fit 🙂
Who would you guys start monreal or gibbs?
If we start with Welbeck we won’t win, Poldolski up front Germany engineering all the way.
pod hasnt acquitted himself well at CF when he was tried there several times last season.
@almostawinner
Spot on
Monreal if Sanchez or Ox on LW, don’t risk Gibbs
Definitely shouldn’t even think about considering Sanogo as a our main or even supplementary threat as he is too hit and miss…………..more miss than hit !
He’s clearly not up to the task and can’t be relied on to spearhead an offensive front if we have any ambitions for a successful season.
At the moment, only playing with one man up front (when Giroud was playing) was not really a considerable threat to any team, let alone the bigger of the premiership. So if we can just about muddle through with the likes of Giroud at the best of times, how we gonna cope with an ineffective threat such as Sanogo.
Unless we load the side offensively and play more of an attacking formation we are only gonna be chasing one of the top four positions as opposed to winning the title or much else.
A four, four, two is what is needed with the two comprising a more attacking threat such as Podolski and Sanchez ; Podolski and Wellbeck. With a supportive attacking midfield that can defend in numbers also. Chamberlain on one wing, Campbell on the other, Ramsey and Arteta in the middle.
Our vanity players like Carzola and Ozil shouldn’t be used just to woo the crowds as they’re much too lightweight and can be all too easily nullified by a forceful, determined and organised opposition midfield. And I’m not just talking about the top sides either.
In short, No to Sanogo and give us an brutally offensive attack as well as equally brutal midfield to complement.
maybe we could ease sanogo in by only starting him in capital one cup and against
lower ranked PL teams?
i think its crappy of wenger to put sanogo in high pressure games instead of some “lower pressure” ones. [oh yeah, thats bc wenger f**d up not buying a striker last 3 years]
Sonogo needs time and he needs to be allowed to develop in all sorts of games. I’m not saying he should play every week but he needs the chances to improve, it’s the only way he will realise the potential that I’m pretty sure we all know is there.
Give the kid a break and trust the boss.
Sanogo to start, Welbek 2nd 45mins
I dont care who start, all i want is a win for the gunners hoping welbeck & sanchez score oh how I miss that #14 COYG
hopefully one day if jenks is moved “there”…..
wellz
ox……….ozil……..walcott
ramsey…..wilshere
gibbs,jenks,chambers,bellerin
Scsezzzz
I
I hate all this hype on Welbeck.It’s all to sickening and absurd.This is what spoils all these English lads.
maybe, eventually, these english lads that get hyped will remain humble. our tabloids are mad. that’s not changing. so, humble young men is what the folks in leadership positions need to focus on instilling.
let’s win first, but to do that Poldolski needs to start ahead of Welbeck.
How can an unproven Welbeck start ahead of Poldolski.
His record is second to none at Arsenal
@Wellbeck out
I think you are right we had our own Wellbeck his called Podolski.
pod plays well at LW and can score goals for us from there.
he’s a backup to sanchez at LW at the moment (or if sanchez is at CF, pod can be at LW)
playing pod at CF would be an insane gamble when u have sanchez/welbeck
The Man City game is too big for Sanogo
Sanogo to start and Welbeck to get the 2nd half, depending on how Sanogo gets on.
@Ronny331
Common sense…
Interesting fact from last season.
Giroud goals per game including coming on as a sub played 51 scored 22.
Podolski goals per game including coming on as a sub played 27 scored 12
Why with these facts does Wenger not play Podolski more often.
AHA Wenger I have caught you out 🙂
Because Podolski is a poor player.
@ergs
How can you say that.
Giroud = 0.43 goals per game
Podolski = 0.44 goals per game and came on as a sub more often that Giroud
Seriously Podolski is a poor player his goal record is ok but that doesn’t make you good for the team if you do nothing else.
And he’s not a prolific enough scorer to warrant starting when he is so poor.
A ghost at times for us.
He is just like Wellbeck when he played for Man United he played on the wing. When Podolski and Wellbeck play for their national teams they play as strikers.
Wellbeck has to play.
Waoooooo!!! What’s the hype about?
He scored with the under 21…!!!
No thanks… On the bench and Welbeck in to face City…
I don’t even know why we have debate about it, that is just pure logic.
But again, with the deluded one, nothing is impossible (like putting Ozil on the wing knowing he won’t track back as soon as he looses the ball…!! No problem for Wenger, what a strategist !!)
I have nothing against sanogo, but he needs a loan spell at another epl club. He has potential yes, but he should go on loan where he has less pressure on him. Welbeck should start as a st against man city, he has power, pace and really good work rate. Players like welbeck and Sanchez is what arsenal needs, not players who are walking on the pitch
Seriously if Wenger has no plans for Poldolski he should have let him leave.
He maybe goes missing, but that is Poldolski, but he delivers when needed. You give him a chance and he takes it unlike our other strikers.
I want Poldolski LW, Welbeck ST and Sanchez RW.
I agree……………….
Podolski should be fuming as when he plays, he’s played out of position and to add insult to injury he see’s no hopers like Sanogo getting ahead of him.
Now that Giroud is out Wenger should play Podolski in his favoured position as an out an out striker with another supporting striker in the form of Sanchez or Wellbeck as a duo.
Then you’ll see a really good Arsenal attack line !
No
He not only played in u21 but first match was against u21 khazahstan lol
Welbeck scored against a decent side.
Also, I would prefer both Welbeck and Podolski over Sanogo. I’m not saying we shouldn’t play him at all, but try him in Carling Cup and see how he does.
Overall, I would put Welbeck, Giroud, Podolski, Sanchez and Campbell over Sanogo.
Come to think of it. With us having Welbeck, Giroud, Campbell, Podolski, Walcott, Sanchez (all capable of striker), it would made sense to send him on loan for regular playing time. He requires a lot of playing time to improve. He may turn out to be an excellent striker one day, but at the moment not really needed.
I would actually play Campbell/Podolski in Cup matches and Welbeck/Giroud in PL/Champions League or different combination.
pls stop with the logo bs…the guy is heading for the lower echelons of ligue 1…dont waste time thinking about him
SanOwnGoal may be a hardworker but that’s as far as it goes – just doesn’t get d ball behind d line, Poldi is a prolific striker, but that’s as far as he goes – goes missing too many times, Welbeck needs his head on d ground maybe he’ll make it @ Arsenal – pls less hype, Sanchez is preferably a wingman, forget it but we’ll miss Giroud! I just need a win vs city and dat’s settles it