in Arsenal, Football Opinion

Olivier Giroud: A Man on a Mission

Olivier Giroud

“Olivier Giroud” (CC BY 2.0) by Ronnie Macdonald

Olivier Giroud has struggled to break into the Arsenal starting line-up this season, but five goals in as many matches could force Arsene Wenger to reconsider his role ahead of the busy festive period.

The Frenchman netted a late equaliser against Manchester United to earn Arsenal an important point in their most recent Premier League clash before scoring a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League to end an impressive week for the 30-year-old.

As of November 24th, Arsenal are three points off the top of the Premier League, are on the verge of advancing to the last-16 of the Champions League and have a quarter-final EFL Cup clash with Southampton in the coming weeks.

With the Gunners fighting for silverware on multiple fronts, Giroud could be set for more opportunities to lead the line in the near future. Whilst Alexis Sanchez has been the preferred option in the league, the France star could force Wenger’s hand if he continues to score on a regular basis.

On paper, Giroud is arguably the better forward option, but Arsenal fans will be sceptical of his recent form. The 30-year-old has gone on similarly impressive runs in the past before falling short when presented with the chance to start week-in, week-out.

With 60 goals in 141 Premier League games, his stat-line is solid and his 38% shooting accuracy rate is decent compared to other top flight strikers. He is never going to be a world beater but the Arsenal forward has a competent record if nothing else.

Giroud’s recent form has been sublime to say the least and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Wenger give his compatriot a chance to prove his worth in the coming weeks.

Just over a month ago, it looked like Giroud was destined for a move away from the Emirates Stadium but the Frenchman has crucially found his scoring boots at the right time. The Arsenal boss may come under scrutiny if he opts for Giroud but it is ultimately the right decision based on form alone.

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Last season, Giroud had two similar scoring runs before going on droughts and Gunners fans will be wary of history repeating itself in the coming weeks. In October, he scored five goals in six appearances before netting six in a four-match span in December.

However, he ended the season with six in his final 23 club outings – and three of those came on the final day of the campaign against Aston Villa. Giroud has the potential to be Arsenal’s main man but his inconsistencies have affected his ability to showcase his skills on the big stage.

At the time of writing, Betway customers can get 8/1 on Arsenal to win the Premier League title at sports.betway.be/fr and plenty of punters will be backing Wenger’s men to get their hands on the crown for the first time since 2004.

While England’s top flight is arguably more competitive than ever before, Giroud offers Arsenal a Plan B – if required. Unlike Sanchez, he is capable in the air and the Gunners may lean on the Frenchman when facing more physical opponents, such as Stoke City and Sunderland.

On current form, Giroud deserves a place in the starting line-up but he has to earn the trust of Arsenal’s supporters – and the only way he can do that is by scoring goals. The France international is in fantastic form and the Gunners could secure silverware if he maintains his current level of performance for the remainder of the campaign.

Don’t write Giroud off just yet, his recent form has shown us that the Arsenal striker still has plenty to give.

Olivier Giroud