Arsenal: Olivier Giroud still crucial to Premier League title push

Arsenal will be looking to recenter their efforts and push for a Premier League title in 2017/18. Few are more crucial to that effort than Olivier Giroud.

Arsenal supporters (and France supporters) will always be split on Olivier Giroud. These ‘supporters’ inexplicably boo the Frenchman any time he does anything remotely negative. Yet he continues to score and be a productive member of whatever attack he is thrown into.

Now, the big front man has spoken up about his ambitions in North London, and how they have remained untarnished.

"There is nothing fixed, but I would say that today I feel good at Arsenal. I have two more years on my contract, we will see what the future will be. The Premier League is an increasingly high-profile and contested championship, where five or six teams can potentially claim the title. This is why I still want to continue to win this title."

Some supporters may be scoffing at Giroud, wishing him out of the club. But the French goal machine is one of Arsenal’s most crucial players for pushing towards a Premier League title next year.

The problem we may face this summer is that not many world class strikers will be willing to go to a club without Champions League football. That means that the more options the Gunners have, the better. And of the options that they have, few are as unpredictable as Giroud.

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At the very least, we know he can score goals, own the box and provide a target to bank crosses off of. That counts for something, and it counts for more than what Danny Welbeck can provide.

Even if a top quality striker is found, do not for a moment underestimate how important Giroud still is. To have a reliable second option is something that all title-contending teams have to have. and Giroud is absolutely that.

The third option is that the Gunners find another quality striker, but not necessarily a fix-all solution. Kind of like Lucas Perez, if he had been played more, this option would give Arsene Wenger something else to play with, but not something to completely ease all of the tension up front.

This is where Giroud is required more than ever, like this year. Giroud has been huge this year in the small capacity that he is being used and if he is just as committed as ever to fight for his place, then everybody wins.

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No matter what happens this summer, Giroud is absolutely going to play a huge part in it. The man deserves the trophy just as much as anyone else on the club, maybe more for all the gruff he has taken to get there.

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