What was supposed to be a great season for Arsenal has turned out to be a disappointing affair albeit Arsenal fans would have been happy if they knew that they could win the FA Cup and finish 4th after their opening day defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. But having signed Mesut Ozil and led the table for almost two-thirds of the season, Arsenal are back where they usually belong, they have lost it at the wrong time of the season yet again when it matters the most.
The 3-0 loss to Everton pretty much sums up everything that is happening around the Emirates in the past few weeks. But amid all the depressing turnouts of the season, the one positive note is that there is still a glimmer chance of lifting a trophy and certainly this weekend’s clash against Wigan is the most important game of the season. A win will not only get them one step closer to the trophy but it will give that confidence and hunger to win their remaining games in the league and finish above Everton.
But Arsene Wenger must realise that Wigan are no easy opponents and the upset that they caused last term against Manchester City should be at the back of his mind. And with that, he must drop certain non performers from his team to be able to provide a tough challenge. We note down three such players whom Arsenal must bench when they take the field.
Olivier Giroud
The one player whose non performance has affected the team most is their leading striker. When a team has just one recognised striker in their squad, it is a strange dilemma that the manager has to face when that man’s form starts to deteriorate. Neither can he be benched for the absence of any other quality players and nor is it meaningful to keep him playing in spite of his poor show. But Giroud has now given Wenger enough reasons to bench him and give youngster Yaya Sanogo a chance upfront. He has missed sitters, displayed a low work-rate, showed unprofessionalism off the field and practically not justified his selection time and again. It would not harm to have Sanogo for a change and see the physical effects that he has on the team.