Arsenal: Olivier Giroud goals prove nothing we don’t already know

Olivier Giroud scored twice in Arsenal’s win over Stoke City on Saturday. While a good performance, his goals prove nothing that we don’t already know.

What a crucial win that was. With Manchester City winning earlier in the day and Liverpool not playing until Sunday, Arsenal travelled to a ground that they have not left victorious since February 2010, the fateful game in which Aaron Ramsey broke his leg, instigating the rivalry that has persisted between these two clubs since.

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Stoke City were uncharacteristically passive in their performance, offering little resistance defensively and even less offensively. They allowed their visitors to dictate play and control the tempo, with Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin, two players known for their incredible technical feats and accurate distribution under pressure, given the time and the space to pick passes as they so wished.

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The 4-1 scoreline was an accurate delineation of what took place: a masterful showing in ruthless, fluid attacking football, compounded by a team as much on their holidays as they were on the pitch. And in the aftermath of the victory that puts the Gunners within breathing distance of the top four, it has been Olivier Giroud who has stolen the limelight thanks to his two goals.

The Frenchman has been in and out of the starting line-up throughout the season, as if Arsene Wenger was dictating the hokie-pokie to him. Reinstated as the central striker, Giroud rewarded his manager with two opportune finishes. The first opened the scoring, calmly slotting home Hector Bellerin’s neat, low cross at the far post. The second required a little more nous to be in position, but was as equally simple to convert, sliding in to finish Aaron Ramsey’s square pass.

And while Giroud is deserving of praise and respect for his two goals, and for the many times that he has stepped up to score vital goals and vital moments throughout the year, his brace against Stoke did not prove anything that we didn’t already know. We already knew that he comes alive when the ball is shifted into wide areas. We already know that he is sharp in the penalty area, with his runs across central defenders and peeling to the back post. We already know that he is an aerial threat without the mobility to ever threaten the channels.

Giroud’s display against Stoke was less than spectacular. For a man who scored twice, he actually contributed very little to the tie whatsoever. He had just two shots in the whole game – the two goals. He completed only 16 passes and drew no fouls whatsoever throughout the 90 minutes.

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This was a rather anonymous performance from Giroud, even with the two goals he scored. He is a player with a unique skillset who, if utilised and tailored to correctly, can be a major weapon. He also has many shortcomings, many weaknesses that limit his potential. But we knew all of this anyway. Against Stoke, he only proceeded to prove it.