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Olivier Giroud or Alexis Sanchez – Who will Score More?
By Josh Sippie
Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez are currently tied at 13 league goals each. The difference is current form. Whereas Alexis has only put in one goal in his past ten matches, a severe drop from his form earlier in the season, Giroud has returned from injury on an absolutely torrid pace. In his last ten games alone he’s scored eight goals (via WhoScored.com).
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But Alexis Sanchez looked completely rejuvenated suiting up for Chile against Brazil. His pace and effort was on point and he didn’t look at all like the drained winger that Arsenal had been seeing. Given that his team mates at Arsenal are superior to those on the Chilean national team, if he can bring that rejuvenation in to club play again, he may find his scoring boots from earlier in the year.
But what can stop Olivier Giroud? Only one person in world football has a better strike rate this season – Lionel Messi. That means that Giroud is currently eclipsing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and every other striker you care to think of.
International break can easily end a good run of form given the change of team and play style, but Giroud managed to maintain his good form as he tapped in another goal for his home country, and I would never bet against him scoring again when he faces up against Liverpool this weekend.
But as I mentioned, Alexis looked like his 2014 self for Chile, and it appears that international break kick started his engine. Brazil is no easy team to penetrate, but Alexis Sanchez did just that, despite Chile not notching a goal.
Olivier Giroud recently told RMC that he wants to score more than Alexis. “I’m not going to say something silly because it’ll be reported, but why not finish ahead of Alexis? We push each other, we’re on 13 goals, and I would like to score some more to help the team achieve its objectives.”
Giroud is a good, smart team mate. Avoiding the ever-present and itchy fingers of the media, he didn’t say anything ridiculous, he merely commented that he and Alexis have an internal competition and that they push each other to score more goals.
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As to the question – who will score more – it’s a tough one to diagnose. Alexis Sanchez is the perfect Arsenal man, he’s going to play his best when his back is against the wall. He wants to be the best. You know he will do all he can to beat out the in-form Frenchman. The season is winding down and he’s been in a crazy scoring drought that has to be driving him crazy. He is going to look to snap that drought as soon as possible. Not only that, but Alexis can create goals for himself, whereas Giroud requires the service of his team mates, including Alexis, to provide goal scoring opportunities.
But he’s had plenty of opportunities. Giroud, as everyone is well aware of, is scoring more rapidly than anyone other than Messi. He’s scoring finesse goals, headed goals, power goals – throw any adjective in front of goals and he’s probably gotten at least one. He showed tremendous physicality against Newcastle and Monaco and it’s clear that he’s really starting to become the world class striker that Arsene Wenger believed he could become. Plus, he’s receiving services from Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, and Aaron Ramsey – who has been setting him up masterfully as of late.
And so, the question:
In my opinion, the Arsenal scoring champion this year will go to Giroud. Alexis will find a way to kick it in gear, but GIroud could notch 20 at this rate, and I can’t see Alexis getting another seven goals by season’s end. The current Arsenal attack goes through Giroud and he’s been on point, so I can’t see a need to deviate from that strategy. As such, he’ll continue to find plenty of chances to put the ball in the net. And he will.
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