Danny Welbeck may frustrate at club level but put the Arsenal striker in an England shirt and he has proved himself to be a reliable figure on the international stage.
Welbeck scored two goals in England’s 3-1 Euro 2016 qualifying victory over Slovenia at Wembley on Saturday, a win that kept Roy Hodgson’s side top of Group E with 12 points from four games.
England struggled to find their rhythm for large parts against Slovenia and slipped behind when Jordan Henderson headed Milivoje Novakovic’s free kick past Joe Hart.
Yet Wayne Rooney, winning his 100th international cap, scored an equaliser from the penalty spot before Welbeck came to life and grabbed two goals in six minutes.
Welbeck’s first goal may have been a little scuffed but there was nothing fortunate about his second as the Arsenal striker combined perfectly with Raheem Sterling before applying a clinical finish past Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
The 23-year-old, who signed for Arsenal from Premier League rivals Manchester United in September, has now scored 13 goals in 22 starts under Hodgson and the England manager was delighted with Welbeck’s performance.
“I have always believed in Danny,” Hodgson told reporters. “When I picked him for Euro 2012 many were surprised but I’ve never picked a squad without him – even when he has not been playing regularly (for his club).
“I am pleased everyone is now recognising his talent.”
Welbeck has scored two Premier League goals in eight appearances for Arsenal this season and has often been criticised for not scoring enough.
When Welbeck was sold to Arsenal, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said the striker’s record of 29 goals in 142 games was not good enough.
Welbeck’s former United strike partner Rooney, however, believes the forward is improving with every match he plays.
“He’s getting better with every goal and every game,” Rooney, who scored his 44th international goal against Slovenia, said. “He deserves all the credit.”
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
SPECS
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Honeymoonish
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Blue%20Beetle
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