Soccer-Arsenal move has unleashed the beast in Welbeck

By Martyn Herman LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Danny Welbeck's move from Manchester United's bench to the fulcrum of Arsenal's attack may have unleashed the beast in a player whose array of natural attributes have taken time to blend into a complete striker. Fuelled with the confidence gained from knowing he will be one of the first names on Arsene Wenger's team sheet and playing in his preferred central role instead of on the flank at Old Trafford, Welbeck is beginning to look like the real deal. "He was an animal tonight," Arsenal fullback Kieran Gibbs said of the 23-year-old, who terrorised Galatasaray's defence on Wednesday when he scored a hat-trick in his side's 4-1 Champions League win. "I think he has a bit of everything. He's quick, he's strong, he holds up the ball and he works hard." Welbeck became only the sixth English player to score a hat-trick in the competition, joining Mike Newell, Andrew Cole, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney. With his increasingly intelligent movement and impressive link play, allied to the searing pace and power he was born with, the 16 million pounds ($25.87 million) Wenger forked out for Welbeck could turn out to be extremely good value for money. His first goal on Wednesday was all about the timing of his run, ghosting on to Alexis Sanchez's perfect pass. His second was all about his physical presence, while his third, the one he enjoyed most, required a deft finish that would have surprised his critics. Scoring regularly in the English Premier League and turning himself into the 20-goal-a-season striker title-chasing clubs need is his next challenge but in Wenger he has the perfect teacher. When Thierry Henry arrived at Arsenal from Juventus in 1999 many thought of him as a winger who could score goals but Wenger turned him into the ultimate centre forward who scored 175 times in the Premier League. Welbeck, signed days after Arsenal's first choice striker Olivier Giroud suffered a long term injury, will do well to come anywhere near the feats Henry performed in North London but the signs are encouraging that he has finally found the perfect environment for his skills. "Of course it's good to see that he's slowly gaining confidence and finishing well," Wenger told reporters. "It's nice to see the potential is there and he's starting to get there - hopefully that hat-trick will help him gain confidence. "It always helps to know that you have a good chance to play in the next game," the Frenchman added. "What's good for me is that his link play is good as well. His attitude is very positive - he's a team player, not just a finisher." (1 US dollar = 0.6186 British pound) (Editing by Patrick Johnston)