Saturday 24 October 2015 13:01, UK
Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud's good form has given Arsene Wenger a selection headache, so who should be Arsenal's first-choice striker? We compare the stats and get the views of Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas ahead of their Saturday Night Football clash with Everton...
Arsenal supporters were unimpressed when Arsene Wenger failed to sign another striker in the summer, but after an underwhelming start to the season, the Gunners have hit a hot streak in front of goal.
Arsenal have smashed 15 goals in their last five outings, with Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud taking it in turns to impress at the tip of Arsene Wenger's attack.
Stat comparison
In the past, Walcott has played the role of substitute, emerging late in games to stretch tired defences, but recently Wenger has preferred to start the Englishman and throw on the more physical presence of Giroud in the later stages.
So far, it has worked. And while Walcott has been Wenger's preferred starter for most of the campaign, it is the Frenchman who has been more productive in front of goal.
Giroud has scored four Premier League goals at an average of one every 88.5 minutes, and his crucial strike in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich was his fifth in all competitions and his fourth consecutive goal from the bench.
Walcott, on the other hand, has scored two Premier League goals at a rate of one every 251.5 minutes, although he also found the net against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos.
Walcott's electric pace and clever movement has been put to good use in Arsenal's attack, and he certainly brought the best out of his team-mates against Manchester United, when he provided two assists as the Gunners claimed a 3-0 win. Giroud has not yet notched any assists in the Premier League, but he has created five chances, only one less than Walcott, despite spending far less time on the pitch.
What about their finishing? Well, there has been little between their shot accuracy so far, with Giroud posting 63.2 per cent and Walcott 60 per cent, but Giroud's shot conversion rate of 21 per cent is far superior to Walcott's 10 per cent.
They have both shown a penchant for missing clear-cut chances, however, wasting six each - the joint-most in the Premier League along with Manchester City's Sergio Aguero.
What does Wenger say?
Wenger's recent persistence suggests Walcott is his new first-choice, but the Arsenal boss insists his choice depends on the opposition. "With Giroud, it is a competition with Walcott," he said recently.
"When one plays, people always ask, 'Why did you not play the other one?' When you have two top-level strikers, some games Giroud plays and some games Walcott plays. Nobody can play 60 games per season any more. What we want to do is make the right decision for the right game."
Although Wenger did reserve special praise for Giroud after his goal against Bayern: "I have seen that in the last two weeks that he is coming back to his best. The focus he brings and the spirit he shows - he is a winner.
"He gives us a different option. When it does not work on the ground, he gives us options in the air. Both Walcott and Giroud I like. I just have to use both of them in the right way."
Charlie Nicholas' view
Here's what Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal forward Charlie Nicholas makes of the situation.
"It's a real boost that Giroud has got himself goals in the last two games, especially such an important one again Bayern, which gives us a chance of qualifying again.
Giroud is a great option to bring on once Theo has tired the defence out with his runs
"However, Theo still deserves to start in attack for me. His pace and movement are a nightmare for defences and make them play that 10 yards deeper, bringing the best out of the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, while it looks like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will get his chance with Aaron Ramsey out.
"Giroud is a great option to bring on once Theo has tired the defence out with his runs, as we've seen in the last two games.
"All-in-all it's a fantastic headache for Arsene to have though.
"Everyone was saying over the summer that he needed to sign a striker but you can only buy what's out there and now he's got two strikers scoring goals and fighting for that place, that's a fantastic situation to be in."
Find out what Charlie Nicholas is tipping for Arsenal's clash with Everton here.
Who would you choose?
Arsenal take on Everton live on Saturday Night Football on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5pm. Who would you prefer to see start up front for the Gunners? Let us know using the message boards below or by tweeting @SkyFootball
