Welbeck's return could be key to propel Arsenal to league summit

Jamie Vardy's fairytale season momentarily took a backseat Sunday to another storyline those at the Emirates Stadium will feel is worthy of the same Hollywood treatment the Leicester City forward is rumoured to be receiving.

It took just seven minutes for Danny Welbeck to put almost a year of rehabilitation behind him and win the hearts of Arsenal fans all over again.

Whether he was depicted as the next coming of Brazilian legend Pele or given the religious treatment, the memes depicting Welbeck as a heroic/godly figure is a testament to how important his goal was to Arsenal's title hopes.

The drama certainly outweighed the sample size, but Welbeck's game-winner against Leicester City provided Arsene Wenger with a glimpse of the impact the English forward is capable of in an Arsenal team that's been lambasted in the papers for its lack of attacking options.

Welbeck's introduction into the contest marked his first bit of game action in almost 10 months as he was finally able to overcome a knee injury in time to breathe new life into Arsenal's quest to capture its first top-flight crown in over a decade.

The dramatic goal not only triggered wild celebrations in the stands, but also in the dressing room when his teammates greeted him with chants after the three points were secured.

(Courtesy: ESPNFC)

Despite the vital goal, however, questions will be asked about his role going forward and whether the 25-year-old can maintain a clean bill of health long enough to help Arsenal keep pace in a Premier League race that looks destined to go down to the wire.

While his inclusion in the 83rd minute could be viewed as a last-ditch effort by Wenger with the game appearing to be slipping away, his partnership with Olivier Giroud could prove to be a combination opponents will struggle to contain.

Attacking schemes with two forwards upfront is a tactic that's rarely seen in the game today as clubs around Europe prefer to put an emphasis on dominating up the middle with world-class midfielders.

The loan-striker approach is a style Wenger has favoured, but Arsenal's struggles in front of goal might require a different method in order to jump-start an Arsenal outfit that's registered its lowest goal output in the league since the 2008-09 campaign.

Welbeck's return also comes at a time when he'll likely be afforded opportunities to start, even if Wenger doesn't elect to deploy two attackers. Arsenal is currently competing in three separate competitions, with commitments in the FA Cup and Champions League sprinkled in-and-around Premier League fixtures.

Giroud's failure to score in his last six matches is another feature that's plagued the club of late. His could inspire Wenger to consider alternative options in an effort to inject new life into the squad, even though the Arsenal gaffer will likely take a cautious approach with Welbeck before deploying him upfront for an entire match.

No matter what route Wenger takes with Sunday's hero, Welbeck's teammates are obviously excited with his return since it coincides with a fixture list that includes massive encounters with Barcelona and Manchester United in successive weeks.

"It's going to boost everyone without a doubt," Theo Walcott, who scored the equaliser Sunday, told reporters. "He (Welbeck) obviously hasn't played for nine months, and to get straight into the mix of it on such a big occasion, last kick of the game, it's special players who come out in games like this. That could be massive, massive."