Attack the Area with Most Questions for Arsenal After Asia Trophy Triumph
Before pre-season is over, Arsenal could collect a treble. Having swatted Everton aside with a 3-1 win to lift the Asia Trophy, the Gunners will now turn their sights on the Emirates Cup before facing Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley. Although none of these encounters are truly competitive, they could have positive ramifications for Arsene Wenger’s squad: Each celebratory scene boosts confidence and morale and reinforces the idea that they could be serious contenders next season.
Wenger named two hugely different teams in the space of a couple of days, demonstrating the depth available to the Frenchman. At the present time, he has 27 fit players to choose from—an unheard-of situation for a club that has a history of being plagued by injuries.
It’s difficult to read too much in to these summer fixtures, but this was a clear illustration that as far as options go, Wenger has rarely had stronger squads. The Everton game saw Petr Cech make his Arsenal debut, further strengthening the defensive half of the team. In the back four, there is intense competition for places, with the likes of Gabriel Paulista, Kieran Gibbs and Mathieu Debuchy all at risk of missing out on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
The midfield is packed with talent. Francis Coquelin seems to be a guaranteed starter, but choosing between one of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey to play alongside him is no easy task. Ahead of them, Mesut Ozil seems set to continue in the No. 10 role in which he excelled at the back end of last season.
The one part of the field where there is some degree of doubt is in attack. Arsenal typically line up with a mobile front three, with one centre-forward flanked by two wide players. Once he returns form his post-Copa America holiday, Alexis Sanchez will surely make up a third of that striking contingent. However, there is understandable debate about the other two positions.
On the evidence seen in Singapore, Theo Walcott could be primed to play a major part in Arsenal’s forthcoming push for honours. The England international started the final against Everton and opened the scoring with a typical goal. When Santi Cazorla picked up the ball in the opposition half, Walcott dashed away from his marker, sprinting onto the Spaniard’s lofted pass before angling a volley beyond the onrushing Joel Robles. It was a demonstration of Walcott at his clinical best.
The goal capped an impressive display. Had Walcott been a new signing being paraded for the first time, the watching Arsenal fans would barely have been able to contain their excitement. His movement was as dangerous as ever, his speed seemingly unhindered by the cruciate-ligament injury that ruled him out for a full year and his team play better than usual. Walcott looked like a man determined to make an impact.
However, there is a shadow over his contribution. Walcott’s contract expires at the end of next season, and despite the insistence of both player and manager that they would like a compromise to be reached, there is no tangible progress.
We have been here with Walcott before. His contract negotiations always seem to drag out as he looks to attain the best possible salary for his services. Having handed him a surprise start in this year’s FA Cup Final, it’s clear Wenegr has faith in the player he signed as a teenager from Southampton. However, that may be tested by another protracted contract saga.
If Walcott does sign a new deal, he could earn a starting place in Arsenal’s rotating front three. His pace is an invaluable asset, and any defence would be intimidated by the prospect of a race against both he and Alexis. However, if Walcott continues to drag his feet, Wenger may face a choice between jettisoning him now or losing him for free in 12 months' time. Should Walcott go, a spot in the front three could open up for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck or even a new signing.
Against Everton, the centre-forward role was occupied by Olivier Giroud. However, the Frenchman was arguably the most disappointing of the outfield players on show. It seems harsh to criticise him too much given that this was his first appearance of the pre-season period—a bit of ring-rust is entirely understandable. However, for some, the negative aspects of Giroud’s performance will merely have confirmed that he is not quite of the requisite level to fire Arsenal to major glory.
Central striker is potentially an area where English football’s top two, Chelsea and Manchester City, have the edge over Arsenal. Their foremost strikers, Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa, are established first-choice players at the international level. Giroud is a highly effective Premier League performer but perhaps not true international class. He is not, for example, the man chosen regularly to lead the France attack.
Perhaps that’s why the link between Arsenal and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema refuses to go away entirely. According to Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, Wenger has refused to rule out a move for the former Lyon man. It seems like an improbable deal in some respects: With Euro 2016 on the horizon, it’s difficult to conceive of Benzema and Giroud consenting to compete at the same club.
For his part, Giroud is giving the whispers little credence, telling Arsenal.com:
"I’m not honouring this question. I’m trying to focus on my pre-season preparations. We are doing well together with a really good [cohesion] and the most important for me is that the team is always improving. If there is a new striker, it will be nice for all the team, because competition is good for everyone.
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However, the whispers won’t go away. It seems that Wenger recognises that, in his most stable squad for years, the one potential area for movement is the attacking third of the pitch.
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.
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