After a long extended break following their World Cup exertions, Arsenal’s German contingent are back in contention and the game against Everton would serve as the fixture for them to see first-team football action.
Last season, Per Mertesacker was an ever-present figure in Arsenal’s defense and he amassed a whooping 52 games, scoring three goals with his most vital being the equalizer against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup semifinal. Mertesacker forged a great understanding with his defensive partner, Laurent Koscielny, and they complimented each other on the pitch, much to the benefit of the club. This partnership saw the Arsenal defense keep 16 clean sheets – a joint highest with the defensive minded Chelsea.
On the other end of the pitch, another German, Mesut Ozil, played in his debut season for the club making 40 apps and scoring seven goals. He came to North London like a house on fire and his early performances were exemplary but as the season progressed, he suffered a loss of form as well as some issues with his overall fitness but he had a good campaign nonetheless.
The same couldn’t be said for Lukas Podolski, that endured a somewhat tumultuous campaign last season.
Podolski opened his goalscoring account with a well-taken brace against Fulham in August but he suffered a nasty hamstring injury in Arsenal’s next game against Fenerbahce in the Champions League qualifiers. According to the Daily Mail, he was diagnosed to be ruled out for 10 weeks, but he spent the best part of four to five months out before making his comeback against West Ham.
When things seemed really bleak for the Gunners against West Ham, Arsene Wenger summoned the services of Podolski after a long time out and he responded with a goal and an assist which endeared him back to the hearts of the Emirates faithful.
He didn’t feature in the next game against Newcastle with Wenger opting to ease him into game time slowly but with Giroud suffering an ankle injury in the narrow win against Newcastle, Wenger drafted Podolski as a center forward against Cardiff and he struggled badly. Nicklas Bendtner came in his stead and scored a late goal before Theo Walcott sealed the points.
With Giroud and Bendtner out injured, everybody expected Podolski to get the nod as a center forward in the North London Derby but Wenger fielded Walcott in that position ahead of Podolski and he did pretty well before suffering that season-ending injury.
Giroud returned to full fitness and Wenger didn’t hesitate in playing him in his favored center forward role but there was still no space for Podolski in the starting lineup. Santi Cazorla struggled on the left wing and even had a hand in Aston Villa’s goal but when Tomas Rosicky wasn’t deemed fit enough to continue, Arsene Wenger opted to bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of Podolski, and this time it didn’t go down well with the German.
Despite the fact that Podolski hardly got a run of games in the entire campaign, he still managed to score 12 goals, which made him the third highest goalscorer for the team behind Aaron Ramsey (13) and Olivier Giroud (22).
This summer, Podolski has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates and according to the Mirror, he is edging towards a move to Turkey,
“Arsenal have reportedly told Galatasaray they will sell them forward Lukas Podolski, but not Joel Campbell. Galatasaray wanted to sign both players in a £22m deal, but the Gunners are reportedly only prepared to let Podolski go.”
With the amount of money spent this summer, the Gunners may want to cash in on the German but in my honest opinion, the club doesn’t need to. Here are the reasons why.
Podolski’s Goalscoring Threat
Even Arsene Wenger himself has confessed that Podolski is the club’s best finisher and his stats prove so. In his first season with the club, the German banged in 16 goals and he almost matched the tally last season taking his overall goal count for Arsenal at 28 goals in 62 games. Despite the fact that there were games Podolski was largely anonymous, he’s the sort of a player that doesn’t need a second invitation to fire the trigger and in most cases, it’s to devastating effect.
Losing a player like Podolski ultimately means that the club will be prepared to also ‘lose the potential goals’ he’s going to score this season. Podolski also scored 32 goals in his previous two seasons at FC Cologne before joining the Gunners which means that in the past four seasons, the German has smashed in 60 goals (averaging 15 goals per season). It would take some stuffing to find such a player with these numbers that’s not even a first-team regular.
He Adds to the Team’s Depth
Many Arsenal fans were quick to point out that the club’s title challenge fell by the roadside but to injuries suffered by key players. The Ox was the first to suffer a long-term injury in August and Podolski followed suit but the losses of Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and at some point, Mesut Ozil, were bitter pills to swallow. Ramsey was in the form of his life and Walcott was nicking in the goals on a consistent basis.
Santi Cazorla currently marauds the left wing and Alexis Sanchez is a player that can potentially deployed there when Walcott becomes fully fit. This is further diminish Podolski’s chances of featuring but the dynamism of football has shown that injuries, suspensions and other reasons best known to Chuck Norris and Lord Voldemort can make a player get his chance to strut his stuff. If Podolski is sold, Arsenal’s depth will be shortened by a man.
He May Not be Replaced
This is the scariest reason why Podolski shouldn’t be sold.
If the Gunners sell Podolski, Wenger may not replace him with a player of equal or better quality because there are other loopholes that require filling at the club. Thomas Vermaelen’s departure to Barcelona put the club’s defensive options in a rather precarious situation and the fans are hoping that the club mitigates this challenge by signing a new center back. There’s also some talk about a holding midfielder coming in as the Gunners have been linked with a host of names out there.
Even with the potential sale of Podolski, I don’t see the Gunners bringing any winger to replace the German. His compatriot, Marco Reus, has been linked with the club but it seems unlikely to happen.
Conclusion
Despite his output on the pitch, Podolski is also a lovable character off the pitch and the fans adore his antics. Whether it’s screaming ‘Aha!’ in the dressing room or taking selfies everywhere, Podolski has been a positive influence since he joined the club in 2011.
I’d be saddened to see him go.
Sayonara.
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