Champions League Winner Will Not Save Lukas Podolski from Arsenal Exit

On Wednesday night, Lukas Podolski provided Arsene Wenger with quite the birthday present. Having been thrown on as a late substitute, the German international ended up scoring the goal that gave Arsenal three points and a vital victory. It was his first major contribution of a difficult season.

Thus far, Podolski has struggled to make a significant imprint upon the 2014/15 campaign. He has made just one start, and even that came in the unglamorous Capital One Cup. Beyond that, he has made just five substitute appearances. 

Nevertheless, there was no huge surprise as to the identity of Arsenal’s match-winner. Even if he has been an irregular presence in the Arsenal XI, he remains a reliable finisher. A spell on the bench has certainly not dented his confidence. After the game, Podolski told Arsenal.com: "When the ball is on my left foot I score 99 percent of the time. It was a good moment for me and the fans because they support me all of the time."

Pressed on Podolski during his press conference, Arsene Wenger had to agree:

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We know Podolski can always score. He is frustrated and I understand that of course. But he’s important as well and he showed that tonight and he will be important in the coming months. It took him a while to get back to a good physical level [after the World Cup] and now he’s nearly there.

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Podolski’s finishing ability makes him an important part of the Arsenal squad. His goalscoring potential guarantees him a place on the bench, but it’s still difficult to envisage him as a regular starter in the first team. He doesn’t have the movement or work rate to earn a starting place on the flank ahead of the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. 

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

A role as an impact sub is unlikely to be enough to satisfy a player with 100 international caps to his name. Podolski will be aware he hasn’t got too long left at the top and will want to get as many minutes as he can. The pull of the team he supports, FC Koln, remains strong: Podolski frequently leaves London to go and watch his former club. A departure from Arsenal still feels inevitable.

It’s hard to see Arsene Wenger putting up too much of a fight. Although Wenger insists Podolski has always been part of his plans, there are plenty of stories to suggest the contrary. This summer he was heavily linked with a move away, as noted by ESPN, and those stories only quietened when Olivier Giroud was ruled out with a fractured tibia.

When Giroud and Walcott return to full fitness, Podolski will fall even further down the pecking order. The uphill struggle to win a first-team place will get ever steeper.

Podolski still seems to be on borrowed time. One goal changes little. However, Arsenal will be glad for his presence. Until his inevitable departure, he remains a lethal weapon to deploy in the final third.

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.