Arsenal can go top of the Premier League table, for 24 hours at least, if they beat Everton on Saturday (24 October) with manager Arsene Wenger in the enviable position of deciding which of his in-form players will lead his attack.
Theo Walcott is expected to lead the frontline for a sixth straight game but Frenchman Olivier Giroud showed his worth by scoring his fourth goal as a substitute this season in the 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday (20 October).
Its always hard, honestly, because they are two top players, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters on Friday.
I consider the form, I consider as well the game of the day, you know, but at the end of the season both will have played their share of the games and at the moment its Theo (Walcott), in a few weeks it might be Giroud, he added.
With Walcott, who has scored four times this season, Arsenal look to use the Englishmans pace in behind on the counter but adopt a more direct approach when the taller Frenchman is in the side. Against Bayern on Tuesday, which Arsenal won with late goals from Giroud and Mesut Ozil, the breakthrough came after Giroud replaced Walcott in the 74th minute.
Giroud pounced to score from a Santi Cazorla free-kick three minutes after coming on before Ozil scored the second with the last kick of the game. Asked if the win midweek against the German giants had given the team a feel-good factor, Wenger said the team always feels positive.
I will surprise you, we always have a feel-good factor inside our club, unless the results are not there, but I think we always (have) a togetherness but not always the results that we want. But overall we are on a good run and that can help the level of confidence and belief to go into the next game. We have a big game in front of us against Everton, we can extend our run, so our focus is mainly on our next game, he said.
Wenger said the team were wary of being complacent against Everton following their excellent performance against Bayern. When people think Oh, this could be a game where they can sleep a little bit and when you respond in a positive way. I believe as well that at the top level when you come out of a big game (you need to) show that you can focus again and produce the same performance again, he added.
Arsenal are on a good run having won five of their last six games in all competitions, and will move up from second if they win because current leaders Manchester City and third-placed Manchester United do not meet until Sunday.