Player Focus: Is Giroud Already One of Europe's Leading Strikers?
Perhaps the starkest aspect was how predictable it was.
As Olivier Giroud wrapped the ball into the net to effectively secure Arsenal’s thoroughly convincing 2-0 win over Napoli, it was at the end of a move which he has already replicated several times this season. Rafa Benitez’s side could still do absolutely nothing about it. It was too slick, too evasive. In that, Giroud arguably fully reflects this current Arsenal. Although Arsene Wenger has broadly retained the same tactical template that can be turned over with the right response from the opposition and wrong form from his side, they are very difficult to handle when anything like in the mood - as is the case at present.
Arsenal insiders have long maintained that such notions of teams ideally gliding on confidence and fully in tune with each other have long been cornerstones of Wenger’s approach. So has faith and patience.
He would no doubt argue that he had personally foreseen something else beyond Giroud’s mere run for the goal. Because, in his Monday press conference ahead of the Napoli game, Wenger was asked whether the French striker - who just turned 27 that day - can become one of Europe’s leading strikers. The manager didn’t skip a beat. “He is already.”
Even accounting for Giroud's admittedly impressive early form, the fact this campaign is still so young would seem to make that statement rather exaggerated - especially after the Arsenal boss’s pursuit of both Gonzalo Higuain and then Luis Suarez over most of the summer. Except, Wenger insists this period is a truer reflection of the forward’s quality than anything we saw over 2012-13.
“Olivier Giroud always had a better second season everywhere he played than the first one. For him, the jump from Montpellier to Arsenal was quite big. In the first season, it is always quite difficult.”
It is also difficult to dispute any of that, as well as the fact Giroud always improves. He has never stayed at a club longer than two campaigns but, since leaving Istres for Tours after just a year, there has been a definite pattern in terms of increased scoring in the second.
It is not just about the more prolific scoring at the moment, however, even if Giroud has been temporarily sharper by hitting more goals from less shots per game - 2.3 efforts against 3.2.
As Wenger puts it, he has “improved in all the aspects of his game”. Teammate Bacary Sagna cites Giroud’s attitude and willingness to better his career.
“He is always questioning himself. He knows what he did well and what he did wrong. He tries to work on it during training sessions and tries to communicate with the boss. He is always asking about his positioning, what he could do more. Even with his English, he improved a lot and that makes a big difference.
“With his English, that has made a big difference to his game, to communicate with his partners on the pitch. Now he is totally open and if we are on top of the league today, it is because he made a lot, and today he is an important part of the team.”
There is little doubt about that. The stats illustrate that many aspects of Giroud’s overall play are superior - right down to his willingness to race forward if his offside stats are to be interpreted that way.
As Sagna indicates, Giroud is not just finishing moves but forming a central part of them, only adding to the fluency Wenger so desires. His key passes per game have taken a significant jump from 1 to 1.7 while his accurate through balls, at 0.5 per game, are more than any other Arsenal player. There is even the fact he is tackling more this time around. Previously, his lack of form meant attacks broke down. Now, he is helping build them up.
Wenger is doing the same with Giroud himself, “As long as all the aspects are there, the attitude is there as well, then at 27 you always think the best years are coming for him now.” It’s up to Giroud to make good on that prediction.
Is Giroud really one of Europe's leading strikers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
