Danny Welbeck is relishing leading the Arsenal attack - and is not surprised at his prolific start to life in north London.
The 23-year-old scored the club's first Champions League hat-trick since March 2010 in the 4-1 victory over Galatasaray on Wednesday night.
That treble took Welbeck's tally to four goals in his first five Arsenal games and the striker is delighted to be flourishing in his favoured position.
"I’m getting into these positions much more regularly now, and I’m looking forward to sticking the ball in the back of the net"
“If you’re getting goals and getting a run of games in your preferred position, your confidence is going to grow and performances are going to grow as well," Welbeck said. "That is something I am really looking forward to doing, building on those performances.
“I wouldn’t say I feel different. Maybe beforehand, sometimes I wasn’t getting through on goal if I was coming from a four-man midfield.
"Obviously it’s difficult to leave your position and go and get goalscoring opportunities. But I’m getting into these positions much more regularly now, and I’m looking forward to sticking the ball in the back of the net.”
Welbeck is also enjoying the chance to combine with Arsenal's creative midfielders.
“When I’m playing with these sorts of players, they are looking to slip the ball in behind," he said. "I am always ready for that, looking to make the movement right and get in behind the defenders. Tonight I did that a couple of times and scored a few goals.
“I’m looking to build an understanding with the players and getting to know them better, it’s good to play with this calibre of midfielders, they are only going to create chances.
“Nobody can really criticise my finishing because they don’t really see me playing in a forward position too often. But now I am getting into these positions I want to be sticking the ball in the back of the net. I’m sure it’s the same with every other striker.
“Obviously people can say I’ve not scored enough goals, but you stick the best strikers on the wing in a four-man midfield and see if they score goals.”
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.