Premier League giants Arsenal cruised past Ostersund in the Europa League on Thursday but Danny Welbeck had an evening to forget.
This was not the statement Danny Welbeck would have wanted to make.
Given a rare chance to lead the line for Arsenal in the absence of the injured Alexandre Lacazette and the cup-tied Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the England striker toiled in sub-zero temperatures as the Gunners travelled to Ostersund in the Europa League on Thursday night.
A comfortable 3-0 win, sealed by strikes from Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil sandwiching an unfortunate first-half own goal, probably puts the tie to bed as a contest.
But Welbeck would have left the Jamtkraft Arena feeling frustrated after wasting his chance to make a real impression under the watchful eye of Arsene Wenger.
The former Manchester United youngster has never really settled at the Emirates since his £16 million move in 2014 due to an unfortunate series of injuries. And, going into Thursday night’s round of 32 clash, he had only started 13 games for Arsenal this season with five goals to his name.
So a frustrating night in front of goal has left a number of supporters’ patience wearing thin.
Welbeck can be a very frustrating footballer, his hard work and determination often undermined by a galling first-touch and wasteful end product. And it remains to be seen how many more nights like this he can really afford in an Arsenal shirt.
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