Arsenal: Olivier Giroud injury restricts and limits

Olivier Giroud has returned home from French international duty after suffering a thigh injury. His potential absence restricts the versatility and variance of the Arsenal attack.

Arsene Wenger has always prioritised versatility and flexibility. He has relentlessly changed the positions of his players, demanding that they have the requisite intelligence and game understanding to excel in several different roles with varying responsibilities. And the Arsenal team is set up in a fluid and flexible manner as a result.

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The free-roaming positions of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who are more traditionally lined up as wingers, mean that the attacking shape is not structured and regimented. Their drifting inside is complemented by the overlapping runs of the wing-backs, the surging runs from central midfield, and the continued movement of Alexandre Lacazette on the shoulder of the defence.

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The ability to play in a number of positions yields a collective ability to play in a number of styles. Arsenal have shown that they are capable of playing in different ways. Wenger has implemented a counter-attacking approach, a high-pressing strategy, and the most commonly used possession-based tactic that looks to control the game through dominance of the ball.

Late in games, this ability to attack in various ways is invaluable. When goals are needed and teams adapt their defensive tactics, usually dropping a little deeper and conserving what they already hold. In these cases, it can be difficult to employ the on-the-carpet style that Wenger demands. Space is tight, time is limited, and chances are difficult to engineer. This, then is where Olivier Giroud enters the equation.

The Frenchman brings a versatility of style to the team. His size and stature allow him to provide an aerial threat, he occupies defenders when playing with his back to goal, and he offers Arsenal a more direct approach that can overpower the deeper-lying defences that occur late in games.

So Giroud’s potential absence for Saturday’s North London derby is a concern. The French striker suffered a thigh injury while on international duty and was sent back to Arsenal as he would not be fit for the upcoming friendly against Germany.

It is not yet known whether he will be able to play on Saturday. But even though he doesn’t start regularly anymore with the addition of Lacazette, Giroud still offers a different option that no other player in the squad can replicate. And missing that will be another obstacle that must be overcome.

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The restrictions and the limitations that his absence places on Wenger and the approach that he can take certainly do not help. Spurs are an excellent team. Arsenal need all the help they can get. Hopefully, Giroud will be a part of that.