I am not one of the Arsenal fans who groans and moans about everything that Olivier Giroud does. I actually quite like the big Frenchman and appreciate what he does for the team, but he was quite honestly shocking against Besiktas on Tuesday and I do not think we should start with him up front on Saturday.
Everton are likely to be just as hard to play against as the Turkish side and their defence should be stronger and faster as well. So Giroud in his current form is likely to give them as much trouble as a sickly schoolgirl and we need to threaten their goal in order to stop them pouring forwards at every opportunity.
If Yaya Sanogo has recovered from his little hamstring issue, Arsene Wenger will have no hesitation in playing the young striker through the middle, but I think that he should consider giving Alexis Sanchez a go. The Chilean is fast and strong and has shown us flashes of brilliance so far, but he has also been guilty of holding on to the ball too much.
As the furthest player forward, however, this would not be such an issue and it may also give him the freedom to express himself more than on the wing. You can bet that Jagielka and Distin will not fancy Alexis running at them rather than merely having the strength of Giroud to contend with.
What do you reckon, gooners, is is Alexis time?