Arsene Wenger took a risk against Newcastle on Saturday by starting Theo Walcott over Olivier Giroud.

The boss revealed before the match the thinking behind his decision, saying, “Yes of course, they [Giroud and Walcott] have different qualities and sometimes in our game plan I will use Walcott and others I use Giroud. They are both great strikers so let’s hope I’ve made the right decision.”

Although Giroud did come on during the final stages of the match, it’s hard to say whether he would have done a better job than Theo if he’d started and I can completely understand Wenger’s predicament.

Theo did miss a sitter, which Giroud might have scored. However, whether Giroud would have made that run in the first place is questionable. The Frenchman has also missed his fair share of sitters during his time at Arsenal.

In addition, the boss is forever being scolded by fans for not starting Theo. Now that he has, perhaps the fans and pundits alike will get off his back a bit and stop attempting to pressure him into decisions.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I’m sure Giroud will get the nod against Stoke City in our next Premier League match.