Arsenal: Olivier Giroud absence clears path for emerging legend

Arsenal will be without Olivier Giroud in the crucial North London Derby, but does this not open up a gateway for the next young legend to be the hero?

In the build-up to the North London Derby, I have been pretty insistent that Olivier Giroud be given the chance to be the hero for Arsenal. I have stated my prediction as a 2-1 win and in my hypothetical (but soon to be true) match, Spurs score early on, the Gunners equalize around the 60th minute with Alexandre Lacazette and Giroud wins it in stoppage time.

That’s hard to do without Olivier Giroud. He has been ruled out of the North London Derby, which, while not as horrifying as such news used to be (Yaya Sanogo!), it is still perturbing, to say the least.

But then again, is it really? Because if Giroud can’t go, that means that Arsene Wenger will have to access his other striker options.

No doubt Danny Welbeck, if healthy, will find his way out there and Alexis Sanchez will probably be out there too. But when that offensive punch is needed and you have no one left to turn to that can play as a striker, who are you going to call?

Eddie. Eddie Nketiah. Or, at least, that’s what I want to see happen. In reality, I don’t think Wenger has the “cojones” to let a youngster who’s high on life try to rise to the occasion. Instead, he will probably use Welbeck and Jack Wilshere as subs and avoid using a third.

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I’d be surprised if Nketiah is even with the team, but seriously, is it so crazy to think about? Only two players have “rescued” the Gunners this year – Giroud and Nketiah. Welbeck has been solid, but not a hero. Not since Leicester City 2015, when the smallest of flicks scored a goal.

Nketiah should be with that first team. Using the same old people against the same foe when it has never worked in the past should wake you up to the opportunity at hand.

And while Spurs are certainly different than Norwich City, that isn’t the point. Both those goals he scored were because he wanted it more. Against Spurs, I want to see players out there who want it more.

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It’s probably crazy talk to most people out there, but seriously, in the absence of our usual hero, why not go with the up and coming one?

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