Player Focus: Same Old Arsenal but Different Giroud

So Arsenal have done it again. They stumbled through another Champions League group stage before crashing out of the competition in the the most predictable style, failing gloriously after yet another unassailable first leg defeat. Whether or not this was a fault of their own or the doing of that dastardly away goals rule is a matter for another time, but whatever the reason it remains incredibly frustrating to see Arsenal flounder so familiarly yet again.

What people crave when perennial problems of this sort resurface is a scapegoat. For many it is the away goals rule; for others the referee was the issue having booked Alexis Sanchez harshly for a dive in the first half when he might have awarded a penalty; for Paul Scholes and far too many others it is all too easy to place blame at the feet of Mesut Özil – who, incidentally, had an extremely good game – almost solely due to the fact that he committed the unholiest of footballing sins for the game’s traditionalists by swapping shirts at half time.

Most popular of all in the Arsenal scapegoat stakes is, of course, Olivier Giroud, though. The Frenchman is often criticised for possessing too little quality to lead Arsenal’s frontline, a flat-track bully who struggles against the better sides on the biggest stage. He was woefully wasteful in the first leg and it could be argued that his misses – of which there were more than a few – ultimately cost the Gunners their place in the competition, but his overall contribution should not be diminished too readily.

In the second leg, it was his tireless work ethic as he led from the front along with the fact that he slammed home a brilliantly finished opener that inspired and galvanised his teammates into action. The way he ran back to halfway without even the slightest hint of celebration epitomised his focus on the challenge that lay ahead.

He was their greatest threat over the two legs, with some 12 shots over 150 minutes of action. The 6 chances he missed that data providers Opta deemed ‘clear-cut’ were not his finest moments, and it does not make for encouraging reading that no player has missed more across the 8 Champions League ‘matchdays’ all season than Giroud managed in just two matches, but it seems harsh to lay too much blame solely at his feet.

In truth, Giroud had a terrible off day at home to Monaco and put in a fantastic performance in the principality, without which Arsenal would have stood little to no chance whatsoever. His 7.81 rating last night was the fourth best on the pitch, and while he was the worst player on the pitch in the first leg (5.64), the frequency with which Arsenal were once again hurt on the counter was more of the problem – and something far more commonplace for Arsenal in recent years – than the Frenchman’s misgivings. The away goals rule may not be favoured by everyone, but for now they are part and parcel of the Champions League and Arsenal’s inability to stop a relatively goal-shy Monaco from netting 3 times at the Emirates cost them more dearly than Giroud’s misses.

What is more, it was merely a blip in a brilliant purple patch of form for the striker. His goal last night meant he has 9 in his last 11 starts, while he has also contributed 4 assists in that time too. The Monaco home game was the only match in that run in which he has failed to contribute to at least one goal.

His 22.4% conversion rate is amongst the best of all players in the Premier League this season, while his average of a goal every 105.9 minutes is behind only Papiss Demba Cisse (92.2), Sergio Agüero (102.2) and Diego Costa (103.9) of those with over 5 goals. He has received criticism for not scoring enough goals, yet this season, but for injury he could easily have reached 20 in the league alone. There has been a marked improvement from Giroud this season and his finishing ability is often wrongly overlooked.

He is also sometimes said to be unable to create chances on his own like top strikers truly do, but while the build up to his opener against West Ham at the weekend was swift and fluid, he still had a great deal to do to finish from that angle. Furthermore, his strength and power, coupled with clever movement and what remains – despite that Monaco game – a lethal finish, do actually create space and chances. Teammates can play balls into him that others may not be able to get to or control, but the aforementioned facets of Giroud’s game make him unplayable at times.

Arsene Wenger’s team are frequently said to be too lightweight, particularly lacking mettle in central midfield. Giroud might not fit the typical Arsenal centre forward mould and is thus undervalued, but he certainly adds bite up front, scoring more headed goals (7) than any other player in the last two Premier League seasons.

There could feasibly be improvements made to Arsenal’s strikeforce, but anybody more effective than Giroud is going to mean coughing up a large fee in the summer, and with the creative players in their ranks, chances should come often enough that he will continue to find goals easily. The first leg against Monaco was an awful off day, but he is not the main reason that Arsenal slipped up yet again. He has been brilliant of late, and recent form suggests he will only get better.
 

Do you think Olivier Giroud is good enough for Arsenal or are improvements needed? Let us know in the comments below