While there will be a whole list of factors for Arsene Wenger to consider as he prepares the Arsenal team to face Man City at home in a crucial Premier League clash next weekend, with the fitness of the players not least among them, he will surely be looking at the current form of the various players as a guide to which 11 gunners will be in the starting line-up.
In that case, with Lucas Perez having picked up an injury and with both of our England international forwards Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott not involved during the international break, Olivier Giroud must be feeling fairly confident of his place in the Arsenal team next weekend.
The France international scored twice for Les Bleus as they eased to a 3-1 win over Luxembourg this weekend, with a close range finish to open the scoring and then a late header to secure the points after both teams had scored from the penalty spot.
They may not have been the most spectacular strikes but a goal is a goal and the fact that Didier Deschamps kept the big centre forward on for the whole game tells you that he played well. That double also puts him into the top 10 leading goalscorers for the France national team and to withing three of the former Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord who took 92 games to reach that number while Giroud has only played 60.
The big man’s striker record at club level has been very good as well this season, especially when you consider how little he has played. So will his latest goals persuade Arsene Wenger to start him against Man City?
Bob.