Premier League: Olivier Giroud Remains A Problem For Arsenal


Throughout his time in the Premier League, the most divisive characteristic of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger’s managerial philosophy has arguably been the faith that he retains in under-performing players.

On occasion such loyalty pays off.

Thierry Henry, for instance, went goalless through the first eight games of his Premier League career and the Observer’s Andrew Anthony recalled that the early inconsistency of the player who would become Arsenal’s record goalscorer prompted some fans to dub him “the French Perry Groves”.

But for every Henry, Ashley Cole, Cesc Fabregas or Robin van Persie who Wenger has nurtured into an elite level Premier League performer, there has been a Francis Jeffers, a Denilson, or a Marouane Chamakh who failed to justify their manager’s patience.

It was tough not feeling as though Olivier Giroud’s spurning of three clear goal-scoring opportunities during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at home against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday afternoon tested Wenger’s belief in the striker to breaking point.

Giroud, signed from Montpellier for £12 million ($18.1 million) in the summer of 2012, could have been forgiven for nodding a 54 minute looping header from an in-swinging Mesut Ozil free-kick on to the bar. However, missing a free header on the edge of the Tottenham six-yard box on the hour-mark was inexcusable and his shanking a volley from a corner over the bar three minutes after Kieran Gibbs’ equalizer ultimately cost Arsenal an outright lead in the Premier League.

It must be stated that it would be grossly unfair to place Giroud alongside Jeffers or Chamakh as one of Wenger’s striking “flops”.

Premier League: Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud celebrates a goal
[Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images]
The 29-year-old’s record of having scored 47 goals in 129 Premier League appearances for Arsenal immediately ranks him as one of the most consistent frontmen in the division. Indeed, his record of having scored eight goals in nine matches between March and April of this year temporarily brought his Premier League goal average up to one in every 96 minutes, better than that of Diego Costa, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero at the time.

But as solid Giroud’s stats have been, he has consistently failed to perform in big matches.

It was notable, for instance, that the forward was subbed-off after an hour of Arsenal’s humiliating 1-3 defeat at home against Monaco in the Champions League last season after having failed to hit the target with six shots, all of which were struck from inside the opposition box.

Indeed, Giroud has only scored seven times in 21 appearances for Arsenal in the Champions League, and while he netted against Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League last season, he had never previously scored against one of the preceding campaign’s top four and just one of his 16 goals in the 2013/14 Premier League season came against a side who finished in the top seven (Tottenham).

Premier League: Arsenal target Karim Benzema playing for France
[Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images]
Giroud has thus consistently shown himself incapable of deciding high profile matches as a starting center-forward in the Premier League and in Europe and the fact that Wenger dropped the Frenchman in favor of Theo Walcott for the FA Cup final last season indicated that he has come to a similar conclusion.

Indeed, Walcott started up-front in six of Arsenal’s first eight Premier League fixtures this season before getting injured against Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup two weeks ago and four of Giroud’s eight goals this term have come as a substitute.

Giroud is clearly a valuable Premier League squad player for Arsenal, however, the profligacy that he displayed against Tottenham yesterday fits into a broader pattern of under-performance in high profile matches.

Walcott’s redeployment as a central striker as well as Arsenal’s pursuit of Karim Benzema during the summer suggests that Wenger has drawn a similar conclusion and the pressure is now on Giroud to justify his Premier League starting berth by deciding big matches.

For the galling reality Arsenal fans must face up to, whatever the stats say, is that Harry Kane would have netted at least one of those three chances and won the match for Arsenal had the club retained him as an eight-year-old.

[Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images]

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