Arsenal vs Manchester United: Olivier Giroud needs this match

Arsenal have a choice to make with their striker, but of all the players up for debate, Olivier Giroud needs and deserves this match the most.

Arsenal losing Alexandre Lacazette to injury is a major left jab to the jaw, but the task now is to move forward. The problem is that doing that is no easy feat, as there are quite a few roads to potentially go down.

One is to start Danny Welbeck at striker. The former Manchester United man has some beautiful memories playing against his former club and replicating that would be an alright thing, to say the least.

One is to start Alexis Sanchez at striker, with the same, flimsy belief that this position is actually a viable one for someone who is clearly geared towards playing deeper, in a creative role.

The last option – to me the only option – is to start Olivier Giroud. Theman who refuses to give up on the club and on the fans, thousands of whom had given up on him during his “lamppost” days before he became the hero again.

I will never advocate for Arsenal to do something for a player. They don’t owe anyone any favors. The needs of a player are far less than the needs of the team. But in Olivier Giroud’s case, the fact that doing something for him also benefits the team – or, at the very least, doesn’t hurt it – is why I think giving him the starting job is an absolute no-brainer.

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Yes, Giroud stuck with the club when he could have left. He provided such a vital piece of added depth that, devoid of it, would have left the club with a thin line between success and disaster.

Yes, he has been eternally loyal to the club and to the fans, who, again, were less than loving in his earlier days.

But looking at it from a tactical standpoint, how can you possibly advocate for leaving him on the bench? Mostly because a Giroud in need is a friend indeed. When Giroud is put in a position where he needs to prove himself, he does so. He always has. Goin way back.

I think of his howler against Monaco. When he faced them on the return leg, he transcended his mortal body and became something else entirely. It was insane.

That’s the Giroud that we can unlock against United.

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Not just that, but we saw that Giroud can flow with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez pretty well. He has always been able to, but hasn’t had a chance to show it in the new set-up. It’s a small sample size, but early returns are nothing but positive.

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