For 86 minutes, Arsenal huffed and puffed before they could blow the house down thanks to Olivier Giroud. Handed a rare start in the Premier League this season, he managed to score the only goal of the game against a frustratingly defiant West Bromwich Albion side that had one objective drilled into their minds by Tony Pulis – come away with a point.
Against what was effectively a 6-3-1 formation happy to sit deep in their own half (a Pulis specialty), the Gunners threw everything they had at the Baggies with more than 75% of possession and 26 shots on goal (compared to only three shots from the away side). A goal was the least they deserved as Pulis waits another year to open his account at the Emirates.
Giroud reminds Arsenal of his importance
For Giroud, it was a game of mixed emotions. After finally making it back into the starting lineup, he looked a little too eager to get on the scoresheet. Flailing shots from distance saw both fans and teammates sigh in frustration as Giroud soon saw less of the ball.
In truth, Arsenal were not completely at fault. Against a row of striped shirts and Ben Foster in goal, there was little they could do with their link-up play. Add to the fact that they have been used to Alexis Sanchez leading the line in a false nine role for so many games this season made adjusting to the new system a lot harder.
Also read: Arsenal 1-0 West Bromwich Albion – 5 Talking Points
However, Wenger could be criticised for two things – playing Francis Coquelin against a team happy to sit back and not tasking Giroud's teammates of putting in a few more crosses when nothing else went their way.
But the way Giroud managed to hold off Gareth McAuley before caressing a looping header over Foster to turn in Mesut Ozil’s cross for the winner was a goal very few Premier League strikers can manage. A visibly exasperated Alexis had tried his luck all game with tricks, dribbles and one-twos to create enough space to get a shot off and the closest he came was hitting the post.
This is where Giroud is useful. While Alexis is a brilliant footballer and can lead the line, expecting him to fight aerial duels with players such as the vastly experienced McAuley – who is almost a foot taller than him – and Foster lurking just a couple of feet away is expecting a little too much. Giroud’s frame should have been put to better use in the 90 minutes even though the north London side were duly rewarded with three points as a result.
The Frenchman’s celebration saw him release some of that pent-up frustration at not starting games. The 30-year-old has played a bit-part role all season with Alexis nailing down his starting spot up front. Ozil and Theo Walcott have scored more goals than Giroud but he has played the least minutes.
| # | Player | Goals | Minutes | Mins/Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexis Sanchez | 12 | 1527 | 127 |
| 2 | Theo Walcott | 8 | 1347 | 168 |
| 3 | Mesut Ozil | 5 | 1428 | 286 |
| 4 | Olivier Giroud | 4 | 260 | 65 |
The numbers do not lie. The importance of his goals this season also give Wenger much to think about. Two quick-fire goals against Sunderland to help the Gunners seal all three points, a late equaliser at Old Trafford to deny Manchester United and Jose Mourinho another win over Wenger, and this one to keep Arsenal alive in the title race following two consecutive defeats.
“He deserves it. I have a big respect for Olivier. He is always strongly motivated and very strong mentally.
“He always supports the group when he doesn't play. He's a fighter and he has shown that again today.” – Wenger
Yet, at the same time, he managed to miss what was arguably the best chance of the game when Lucas Perez laid the ball on a plate with an intelligent pass into the six-yard box. This is where one draws the line between the norm and world class. The ever-alert Alexis may have walked that into the back of the net but Giroud was simply left stunned at the missed opportunity to put Arsenal ahead minutes before he actually did.
Also read: In defence of Mesut Ozil
But will Giroud nail down a starting spot?
So has Giroud now become Wenger’s go-to option only when he needs a bit of physicality in the box? When set-piece goals seems like the only way to score? Possibly.
Wenger has been trying to sign a mobile striker for quite some time now. The Luis Suarez deal with Liverpool was shot down while Jamie Vardy refused to leave behind the hospitality of the King Power Stadium to try his luck at a bigger club. Alexis has now convinced Wenger that his pursuit has come to an end.
For Wenger to achieve his ultimate utopian paradigm of free-flowing attacking Wengerball, he needs to have a player of Alexis’ calibre up front rather than the slower and predictable Giroud. The Frenchman may be the only player in the side who can play with his back to goal but, more often than not, he is not the primary goal threat.
In Alexis, Wenger has the complete package – evident from his sensational season so far having already scored 14 goals with half a season to go. He is well on course to beat his 25-goal mark in his debut season.
A very mobile front line is Wenger’s dream, hence the trust in young Alex Iwobi on the wing. Even Ozil manages to always stay on the move despite his languid body language. Giroud is easy to mark despite his movement and dummy runs. “He’ll never give you the slip,” said John Terry once upon a time, even though he did call him a “good player”.
For the time being, Arsenal are effective with Alexis leading the line (and dropping deep to throw defenders off his scent). It gives the Gunners more options in an attack that is not one-dimensional. But if Giroud can accept the role of a secondary option, he could easily be the devastating super-sub and game-changer Arsenal have craved for a long time.
