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Olivier Giroud Or Theo Walcott: Who Should Arsenal Start Against Bayern Munich?
Ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of their season so far, Arsene Wenger has a dilemma on his hands. Both of his first team forwards have been performing well as of late, and it is up to the French tactician to decide which one of them should get the start against Bayern Munich.
Wenger has already revealed in the press that he will not be resting Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. This may not be such a wise decision. A fixture with Everton next weekend brings another challenge that the Gunners must be ready for. Thus Sanchez and Ozil must be ready for that game. If Wenger believes he can get one over on the German champions on match day three, it is necessary to play his best players. So who does he play up front?
Neither Walcott or Giroud has scored against Die Bayern in the past three seasons. They have only met once since 2013-14, and it was in the round of sixteen. Bayern beat Arsenal 2-0 in London and held out for a 1-1 draw in the return fixture, sending Arsenal home. That team was trounced in the semi-finals of the Champions League by Real Madrid; this season Bayern look even scarier to face than before.
Pep Guardiola has slowly been ironing out the weaknesses in the Bayern side that have been present over seasons past. Defensive stability and midfield strength are some of the problems that have plagued them since their treble-winning season in 2013. A revitalized back line, combined with Arturo Vidal and a brilliant attacking force make for a ridiculously good team. Die Bayern have only conceded five goals in all competitions thus far; which of Arsenal’s forwards is better suited to the game?
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Walcott and Giroud have both scored four goals each this season. This statistic is not to show their likeness in play style, because they differ completely. Walcott specializes in running in behind a defense, whereas Giroud is a target man able to make brilliant plays with one touch. Both forwards have created a similar amount of chances for their teammates (Walcott – 7, Giroud – 5), but it remains unclear as to what the best way to score against Bayern is.
Giroud is arguably the more “in-form” striker at the moment – he came on for Walcott and scored against Watford to double Arsenal’s lead at the weekend. Walcott’s contribution in the first half was minimal, though he cannot be fully blamed for that as he is supposed to receive a lot more service than he did. However, even though Walcott has not scored in his past two games for Arsenal, he should be the one to start the Bayern fixture.
Giroud has the ability to make opportunities for his fellow attacking players, but he is not actually suited to play against Bayern Munich’s back line. From past Champions League fixtures, the only evident weakness Bayern have is that they do not quite know what to do against a well-engineered counter attack. Due to their dominance in the Bundesliga they do not often have to fend off multiple counter attacks every ten to twenty minutes in every match. Comparisons between Arsenal and Barcelona are hard to make, but Barcelona undid the Germans’ defense last year by utilizing their ability to counter. Arsenal must do the same.
If counter attacking is the game plan, Walcott must get the start. The Gunners are in such good attacking form right now, and Walcott has been crucial to generating that momentum. He has the speed and the awareness to be at the front of the counter attack when Alexis Sanchez is not already there. Plus, he can do something that Giroud could never dream of – he can beat a defender with speed.
If Arsenal are to pull of any kind of result, Walcott and his quick movements in attack will be the key. Giroud is too slow to pose a threat to Jerome Boateng and Mehdi Benatia, and they will stymie the Frenchman with ease. Trying to get a result against the Munich giants is always a tough ask, but the Gunners must ride their good form and hope for the best with the same system that they have been using in recent fixtures. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Next: Gabriel Paulista is needed if Arsenal hope to slow Bayern Munich