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MOTD: Everton 2-2 Arsenal – How valuable is Giroud to Arsenal?

By on August 23, 2014

When Olivier Giroud came on at halftime Arsenal were 2-0 down an Everton were largely dominant. The Gunners hadn’t yet forced a single save out of Tim Howard, and Everton exploited Mathieu Debuchy’s high pressing with quick counters and speed down the left. Arsenal’s lone forward Alexis Sanches hadn’t fired a single shot, and namely that is because Sanchez isn’t a direct replacement for Giroud, which Wenger featured him as. Sanchez doesn’t bring what Giroud does and is much more of a winger or forward in a pair. Giroud came on for Sanchez, and suddenly, everything changed. I it was because Everton took their foot off the pedal, but the fact that Arsenal had a physical presence up front was how they managed to pull it back and draw at Goodison Park.

Giroud scored, adding the first goal to his tally this season, having not even played a full ninety minutes. And for those who say he can’t score, or doesn’t do it often enough, keep in mind that only Sergio Aguero, Daniel Sturridge, and Luis Suarez scored more goals than him in the Premier League last season, excluding penalties. Wenger knew what he was buying in Giroud as well – he only bagged a few more goals than he has at Arsenal in all of his time at Montpellier, for whom he made seventy-three appearances for, before. Giroud provides physical presence – he muscled off Sylvain Distin for his equalizing goal tonight – creativity – last season he set up eight goals in the league – and a forward for Arsenal’s midfield five to play around. As a plus he is also somewhat of a clinical finisher. Few forwards are like him, and even fewer better – Karim Benzema, who Arsenal fans desperately wanted to replace Giroud at the club, himself only bagged one more goal in one less game than his Arsenal counterpart last season.

Sanchez is completely different, providing speed and runs in behind the defense. So when Wenger started him up front against Everton, Arsenal struggled. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fired just wide from twenty-five yards early on, but him and Mesut Ozil, Arsenal’s two wide midfielders, made way for the full-backs to attack the wing. Everton capitalized and down the left, Kevin Mirallas and Leighton Baines dominated. Everton’s first goal came likewise, as Gareth Barry’s cross from the left found Seamus Coleman, who had been pressing far up the wing the nineteen previous minutes of the match, who headed home the equivalent of a tap-in at the far post.

Just three minutes later Steven Naismith flicked a header into the run of Mirallas on a counter-attack down the left, and the Belgian winger poked a low shot just wide with only Wojciech Szczesny to beat. It was only twelve minutes later when Mirallas again came close with a twenty yard effort dipping inches wide of the frame, and soon after that, just on the brink of the break, a second goal came into the Arsenal net. Romelu Lukaku did brilliantly to post up and then turn around his first marker from a Everton clearance, and then breaking down the right. Naismith made a diagonal run in behind the defense, and though it was slightly offside there was no call; the attacking midfielder tucked a low effort below Szczesny.

It was a nightmare for Arsenal, even though it may be a match on the road. Thus, Giroud was brought on for the largely ineffective Sanchez. And that was the click for Arsenal. One of the Frenchman’s first touches came in the form of a volleyed shot sliced just over the crossbar, which had been assisted via a chipped Chamberlain pass over the top of the defense. Sixty-seven minutes in the forward curled a low effort just wide on the turn, and finally the breakthrough came as Aaron Ramsey tapped home a brilliant Santi Cazorla cross, threaded through the Everton defense. It was late, with just seven minutes to go, but as Arsenal pushed forward Giroud once again came close as he saw his ten yard snapshot blocked by Tim Howard.

And just into stoppage time, Giroud gave Arsenal an equalizer. He held off Distin, and headed a Calum Chambers cross from the left right into the top left corner. He may be of more value to Arsenal than he is given credit for.
Man of the Match:Olivier Giroud (though Kevin Mirallas was brilliant in the first half)

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.