Arsenal: Olivier Giroud might be the best at what he does

Olivier Giroud again stated that he thinks he made the ‘best choice’ by staying at Arsenal. And the Gunners should be happy, because he might well be the best at what he does.

There was significant reason for thinking that Olivier Giroud was set to leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window. After Arsene Wenger had decided to usurp him with the club-record addition of Alexandre Lacazette, it was clear that if he wanted regular, first-team football, then Giroud would have to go elsewhere to find it.

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That was a very real decision that faced him, with several clubs interested in signing him, including from within the Premier League. Giroud, though, chose to stay in North London, wanting to complete what he saw as an unfinished story.

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And in another interview during the international break, Giroud stated that it was the ‘best choice’, implying that he is happy that he stayed at the Emirates:

"“I had the opportunity to leave [Arsenal]. I was very close to another English club, Everton. But I think I made the best choice.”"

But it should not just be Giroud who is happy to be at Arsenal; Arsenal should be happy to have him, even if he is not starting any longer.

Giroud, for all of his faults, excels in two key areas of football games: he scores goals with his head and he scores goals from off the bench. And while he may no longer be the number one option, that does not negate his utility.

Last season, Giroud scored six goals from off the bench. No other player scored more than four, with Nolito and Michy Batshuayi both reaching that figure. That is a substantial figure, equalling one goal every 53.5 minutes played as a sub. He also made 18 appearances as a sub, meaning that he scored one in every three games that he was introduced off the bench in. That is an extremely impressive and important influence.

Moreover, last season alone Giroud scored six headed goals. Only Christian Benteke and Fernando Llorente scored more than that with their head. Since his signing in 2012, Giroud has scored 21 headed goals. No player in the league can match that figure in the same time span. In a Gunners team that is notoriously small and slight, often struggling to threaten through the air and challenge the more sizable clubs in the country, that is an invaluable ability.

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To conclude, the only league goal of Giroud’s season so far came against Leicester City. It was a header, as a substitute. Giroud is a limited and restricted player. There is only so much that he can do. But what he does do, he might be the best in the country at it, and Arsenal should be extremely happy that they still have him.