Why Mesut Ozil Is the Ideal Player to Get the Best out of Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck scored twice to help England beat Switzerland and get their UEFA Euro 2016 qualification campaign off to the perfect start. Watching the game from his north London home, Arsene Wenger will have afforded himself a wry smile. A plan is coming together.

Welbeck’s brace showcased his most impressive attribute: athleticism. Although he has all the technical ability you’d expect of a graduate of Manchester United’s famous academy, he is also blessed with remarkable pace and power.

Welbeck seems clear about what he brings to the Emirates Stadium. Speaking to Arsenal.com the day after completing his permanent switch, he said:

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I'd like to bring pace and power to the game. At Arsenal, we're not short of combination football and I like to join in on that and get in behind defenders and try to get shots off at goal. I want to score some goals and help the team to achieve the right results.

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That natural athletic ability was clearly in evidence in both of his Swiss strikes. For the first, he broke from inside his own half to link with Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling before finishing powerfully off his shin. His second strike came as the consequence of another blistering run, ending with one touch to open out his body and another to dispatch a cool finish in to the far corner.

Welbeck barely seemed to break a sweat—and yet this was the 94th minute of the game. It seems his sprinting ability is matched only by his stamina. 

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Arsenal fans watching on would have been enthralled. The Gunners haven’t had a centre-forward with that kind of raw physical potential since Emmanuel Adebayor led the line for Arsene Wenger’s side. 

Last season, Arsenal set up with Olivier Giroud as their centre-forward. For all his many qualities, Giroud is bereft of pace. He is an astute link-up player but does not offer a threat in behind the defence. 

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For Mesut Ozil, that proved frustrating.

In his debut season in English football, the German keenly felt the absence of a striker with the ability to race on to his precise through balls—especially once Theo Walcott succumbed to a cruciate ligament injury. Coming from Real Madrid, he was used to having Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting blocks. Santi Cazorla and Giroud don’t offer quite the same electric threat. 

Welbeck guarantees Ozil options. He will offer a constant roving target for Ozil’s eagle eye. In tandem with Alexis Sanchez and the returning Walcott, he will ensure Ozil has several players ahead of him capable of reaching the German’s more imaginative passes. 

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With Ozil behind him, Welbeck should become a better striker. For many years, the archetypal Arsenal goal was a Dennis Bergkamp through ball to meet a Thierry Henry sprint. Several seasons on, Cesc Fabregas and Adebayor replicated that partnership. Welbeck has the potential to be next in line. Ozil can provide the ammunition; Welbeck can provide the goals.

In the course of the Switzerland vs. England match, Arsenal caught a glimpse of their future. Welbeck’s pace could unlock Ozil’s creativity—and vice versa. The relationship between the two players seems set to prove mutually beneficial and take Arsenal’s attack to another level.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2014/15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.