Why Danny Welbeck Is Arsenal's Most Improved Player in 2015/16

Arsenal’s 2015/16 season has not been one characterised by a sense of progress or improvement. However, it’s for that reason that the contribution of Danny Welbeck in the latter part of the campaign stands out.

Since returning from a nine-month absence in February, the England international has been excellent—a far cry from the player who lost his way at the back end of last season.

There are other candidates for the title of Arsenal’s most improved player. Nacho Monreal continues to go from strength to strength, and he has secured a reputation as one of the most reliable full-backs in European football. In attack, Joel Campbell has significantly enhanced his standing with some eye-catching displays.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

However, no improvement has been quite so dramatic as that of Welbeck. After joining Arsenal from Manchester United in September 2014, he initially started brightly. He scored a hat-trick on his first UEFA Champions League start at the Emirates Stadium and generally looked like a player coming into his own having left the club where he was reared.

Unfortunately, that initial form did not sustain. Around Christmas, Welbeck lost his place as Arsenal’s central striker to the returning Olivier Giroud. He spent the remainder of the season confined to the flank, and his confidence visibly dipped.

Perhaps time on the sidelines did him good. Not only has Welbeck looked even more muscular and powerful since his return, he’s also appeared hungrier. The 25-year-old has had time to analyse his game, and he appears to have sharpened his attacking play.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Within minutes of making his return, he nodded home a stoppage-time winner to help Arsenal beat eventual champions Leicester City.

Since then, his goalscoring ratio has been good—according to stats service Squawka, he has only started six Premier League games yet has already scored four goals. That’s as many as he managed last season in 25 appearances.

He has been far more effective when it comes to chance conversion. Last season Welbeck hit the target with just 53 percent of his attempts. This year, he has been significantly more accurate, testing the goalkeeper 69 percent of the time.

The most recent of those strikes was an accurate volley to secure a valuable three points against Norwich City. Welbeck came off the bench to make that impact, much to the consternation of the fans who rather see him picked ahead of Giroud.

Manager Arsene Wenger defended his decision to leave Welbeck on the sidelines at kick-off. He told Arsenal.com:

"

Welbeck came in and played very well [on his comeback], like the players who have been out for nine months always do.

You have to trust me on that, I know that well — after they come in they are super sharp and then after, against Crystal Palace, he had a very average game and looked a bit for one or two games that he paid for the physical energy he had given.

So you let them rest one or two games and you bring them back in. [Against Norwich], when he came on, you could see he is a different animal again.

"

Perhaps Wenger should be credited with some forward planning. This weekend, Arsenal have a match with Manchester City that has effectively become a play-off for third place and automatic qualification for the Champions League.

Welbeck looks to be returning to top condition at just the right time. Arsenal’s most improved player should be ready to deliver one more telling contribution to round off 2015/16.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.