Vela or Eduardo – Who should start on Sunday against Chelsea?

And why? Note the question again. It doesn’t ask who you want to start, but who should start. The sentiments of the heart cannot overrule the reasons of the mind.

When one door is closed, another is opened. RVP’s injury gave one of Eduardo, Vela and maybe even Walcott for now to stake a claim. That is now well established. Eduardo and Vela have started one game each so far. We could say neither of them have heard the phrase ‘Carpe Diem’, otherwise I would not feel the need to make this issue of who starts vs Chelsea an issue to debate.

After the Sunderland game, I found myself defending Eduardo wherever I could. People seem to forget that our Croatian has had setback after setback since that fateful afternoon in Birmingham. Did he deserve criticism, as much as that for one off game?

Perhaps retrospectively you might revise that view. He is the most natural instinctive finisher we have. Look through the goals he has scored and you can see the quickness of thought when he is presented with chances.

Look through more Eduardo footage and you will see that the Croatian has been part of the “lucky” Arsenal goals – the goal he scored off his knee vs Liege in Belgium, the Wolves own goal, the tap in vs Everton and the deflected goal vs Wigan. All of those happened so far in this season. Right man, right place, right?

Add to that the dribble attribute which can take out a couple of players in an instant and the intuitive flicks that draw in our other players.

Eduardo will start because he has experience. This is largely true considering the Croatian is the older professional, but how much of that experience gained is recent? I can’t be sure on this but Vela has arguably had more minutes on the pitch if you include the loan spell since 2007.

Vela started on Wednesday against Liege and from what I saw he impressed me. He was skillful, direct and although his finishing left a lot to be desired the positive was that he was in the box.

I was equally if not more impressed when shortly after losing the ball, he chased back and won the ball back. Meek Vela? As if. Did we underestimate his physical attributes? There is always a player like that who surprises you with his unperceived strength. You’ll find them everywhere, maybe even in your local 5-a-side games.

If those moments from the Liege match didn’t convince you, I’m sure there is more Vela footage out there that shows his strength on the ball, ability to hold off defenders and link up play. And you can hardly forget the stunning finishing in those goals against Sheffield United and Wigan. If he can do that at 20, what he could do when he is older and wisder is frightening. Let us focus on the present, however.

Eduardo or Vela?

That is the question.

Both can’t start. That would be a luxury for this game. Neither have had many substitute appearances and neither have sufficiently impressed in those appearances. Of the two, Eduardo would make a better sub.

Would that send the right message to Eduardo, especially after he had no involvement against Liege? Do you drop Vela after his fairly impressive performance vs Liege?

Tough questions. Tough answers. Tough decisions. Lucky we don’t have to make it. But we sure can discuss them.