Olivier Giroud has been a polarising figure atop Arsenal’s formation for close to two seasons now and as the 2013-14 campaign winds down, we take a look at where—if at all—the Frenchman has impressed and improved. The 27-year-old was recruited by Arsene Wenger after an outstanding season with Montpellier, firing them to a Ligue 1 title despite Paris Saint-Germain’s rivalling riches in 2012. He arrived as a replacement for the outbound Robin van Persie but failed to settle quickly, drawing the wrath of the fans on multiple occasions, and struggled to ingrain himself into the attack. Remoulding the offense around a target man is common practice, and for a big striker who links with all of his midfielders, this process can take time. In his first season the disconnect was obvious, but starting the 2013-14 campaign with an early goal against Aston Villa was a big factor in a much-improved year. The statistics, undeniably, suggest he’s become more productive in the final third. He’s scored two more goals (13-11) in the Premier League this season than in the entirety of last year, and he’s also managed four more assists (7-3). His chance creation, 29, is down from last year’s 34, and he’s won five fewer aerial duels (125-130), too. Over the first three or four months of the season, he gave Arsenal fans real hope that he could be their No. 1 striker, and could lead them to a Premier League title. They played off of his frame frequently, his clever movement in the final third opened up holes and avenues into the box and his reliable near-post runs usually resulted in goals. Better yet, he even curbed his irritating tendency—to an extent—of shooting from 30 yards. He took on less of a creative brief following the recruitment of Mesut Ozil for £42.5 million and the re-emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so his chance creation dipping isn’t a worry… …but his complete and utter lack of pace is. As the season has drawn on and Arsenal have become more stretched as a result, Giroud has failed to shoulder the load as a top-class target man should. His lack of pace is astonishingly evident in bigger games, and when the distances between the Gunners’ lines begin to stretch out he looks isolated and lost. There’s no doubt Giroud has improved—both visibly and statistically—but the real question is whether he’s fit to lead the line for a team trying to win the Premier League title. The unfortunate answer is no, and the Gunners must look to secure a top-tier striker if they want to be in the mix next year.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 14:14:43 +0000
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