If we look just below the top top top quality strikers, Giroud should be put at that level. Whether another player can do a better job is certainly subject to opinion and can be debated. However, over the past two seasons, slowly but surely, Giroud is changing the perception of people about him. Forget the always-moaners. Most Arsenal fans seem to wonder about Giroud and Sanchez playing together. Many hacks grudgingly talk about Sanchez playing with Giroud and earlier in the summer talked about a strike partner/cover for Giroud. Compare this with the view of Giroud by the general public and the press to two seasons ago, even last season.
I would argue that Giroud is an improvement on Judas for the team. During Judas’s best and final season with us, he scored 37 goals in all competitions. The next higher goal scorer was Walcott at 11 goals and then Arteta at 6. In the next season (2012/13), Walcott scored 21 goals, Giroud 17, Podolski 16, Cazorla 12. We also scored 10 more goals than when Judas was here. Last season our top scorers were Giroud with 22 goals, Ramsey with 16, Podolski with 12 and Ozil and Cazorla with 7 each. It is obvious that the goals are now shared across the forward line and the midfield, making it harder to neutralise us. However, also consider that Giroud did not have Walcott to play with, Ramsey was injured for months, and so was Podolski. Now look at the statistics again. When you have a star striker, the ball is attracted to him, but take him out of the game (either through shadowing or a la Bussaca) and you are suddenly looking at a team having to adjust. Giroud is perfect for Arsenal midfielders to run onto to his delicate, oh so soft passes that take out defenses. Our wide forwards benefit from Giroud suddenly pulling wide and taking one or two reluctant defenders with him. Giroud is a vital cog in the ever moving, ever shifting fluidity that is the Arsenal midfield and forward line.
If someone, says Giroud doesnt have pace or cannot dribble past three players like Suarez. Tell them, Suarez cannot win the ball with his back to goal with a defender kneeing him and no foul being given every single time. If they say give the ball to Suarez and he will score a goal. After the obligatory diving and biting jokes, tell them Giroud will win a physical duel without playing ugly, pass the ball perfectly to a wide forward or defender, then play a neat one two with the midfield and will make an assist of the season. Tell them Giroud will be there when at crunch time, you need somebody to do something for a goal, like against Reading, against Dortmund, against Bayern and most recently in the FA cup. Lastly, tell them to expect more screamers from Giroud now that he has got that first one away.
Here is to Giroud and co terrorising defenses this season!
By Sensational Arsenal @Madras_Periyar
Positively Arsenal 
Spuds down to 10 men, hammers miss the penalty, 0-0 at Upton Park
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And to think how many imbeciles wanted us to get Ca-poo.
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What an excellent piece by SA. Well stated. Giroud makes Arsenal the tastiest fruit-salad. Just what the doctor ordered.
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Excellent piece SA
Giroud is the best target man I have seen. He loves the battle with big defenders. His goal against the oilers was magnificent. He anticipates and holds the defender off and set him self up for a wonder strike. I love Giroud….
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My ManShitty supporting neighbour is coming over to watch the match with me…..he says ManShitty should have fielded their strongest team last week against Arsenal’s first eleven! Was that our first eleven? I don’t think so…..
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What a good little team West Brom have. They finally have a couple of proper fullbacks.
Leicester has a couple of exciting lefties in Knockeart and Mahrez. They’re taking it to Everton. Barry should’ve received a second booking. Hahaha. He can’t live with that Algerian kid Mahrez. Fuck the goals in the Everton and West Brom games were scored at the same time.
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has this post put the mockers on Oliver he’s on the bench. Lets hope he gets his hat trick off the bench ….. COYG
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the day has started on a good note. will the spuds now lose & The Mighty Arsenal win? I surely hope so! @Hunter, if you are first a fan of football & then of arsenal still at this point after so many years of “supporting” the club then you might mostly end up being on differing wavelengths as some of on here. its Arsenal 1st & most biasedly foremost. Keep that “realism” in check or at le Gr**e
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Half hour to kick off!!! Come on you reds! We’re taking no prisoners. Anyone seen the team sheet yet?
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Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gibbs, Wilshere, Arteta, Sanchez, Ramsey, Cazorla, Sanogo. Subs: Rosicky, Giroud, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Monreal, Martinez, Campbell, Coquelin.
I’m excited by the look of this team. To think the following players will not be involved today: Ospina, mertesacker, Podolski, Ozil and Walcott not to mention the youths trying to break into the first team. Mouthwatering!!!
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more likely he has nit regained full fitness… its nice to have that level of quality that can come off the bench!
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There goes Arteta with his jacket sleeves bunched up. That’s a sign of having no character. Who does he think he is, Crockett?
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ok… that’s 2 defenders scoring then
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Difficult game just like I thought it would be. Palace were a well parked bus. I’m glad we got the three points.
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Ramsey scores but who else but our handsome Frenchman was on hand to make that lovely downward header to Debuchy whose shot rebounded off the keeper to our scorer.
Na, na, na, na, na, na-na, na-na Giroud!
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As for the cheap shots at Arteta; if we had that monster D**M this would have been 1-1 all day. Take a bow MA8.
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That was a relief…..
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I love it when Bus parkers get their hearts broken in the dying minutes.
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Hehe kons..warrior… and of course aaron the great and powerful. The sanchez kons goal was like master throwing freesbie and the puma-dog-dolphin catches it. Ninja kons. Sanchez very active very nice will tune in much better in future and the young chambers looked comfortable. Wilshere warrior too.. just to learn to do whats right.
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4.57 ..hahaaaa… you tell em boss…
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Gains what are you saying exactly? That personality does not count, or that van gaal is not a good manager?. If you want to comment on my comments it would be nice to provide more than just cheap shots ala luiz, and justify your objection to what i have said/written or else it comes out as you just being nasty really….troll almost…heh …
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Pot-kettle sooty arse.
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There’s a lot of gobbledygook on here lately….
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Its fucking shit Georgaki. Dying a death if the truth be told.
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MOTD is up
for some reason the scum that finished 7th or 8th last season are up first.
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Fabbuy was spperb, if i don’t want to rui then highlights for anyone
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DC – I am watching the MOTD too…
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Arsenal highlights package not the best, edited to show the bits where we could admittedly played better.
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GoonnaGal
Surprised? they even managed to make it look like Arteta wasn’t vital.
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No mention of Gibbs injury, Sanago having a decent game as did Wilshere and Chambers on his debut. I thought we should of had a penalty, wanted to see the replay. No mention really of the deep defending either. Sanchez had a physical introduction to the Prem too, but handled it well.
For so many years, we’ve been told great teams play to the very end of the match and don’t give up even when things are not going for them, Arsenal were too soft, not determined enough blah,blah, blah. Clearly goals from Kos at a key point (just before 1/2 time) and the determination at the end of the game to get the winning goal shows that Arsenal can and will score goals from open play as well as now set pieces. We have added that to our game and will grind out wins to get the three points.
COYG!!!
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@ DC – I stopped watching it for a bit because the combinations of Hansen, Shearer, Lawrenson as well as Lineker got on my nerves. Had hoped for an improvement this season.
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Hello goona gal
I thought there was a penalty early on too (Ramsey rushed over)
–
Otherwise a tough game to win as expected, Palace had weeks to prepare and their players etc. so no surprises there. Though, did Koscielny’s goal also look like it came off the training ground? Have Arsenal been practising their set pieces?
Excellent agile header from Kosciely, and impressive league debuts for all the new signings. As expected Giroud kept in reserve for the trip to Turkey. I wonder if Campbell will get any games at CF? Not for the moment I guess.
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@ Fins – it’s so annoying that the BBC don’t even bother to be neutral. It’s like when Arsenal win, they can’t move on quick enough to the next match. When we lose, every touch is over analysed to death.
I don’t know how much yoof football you watched a few years ago when Bould & Banfield were in charge, but that was the kind of goal they worked on with the players all the time. Kos is a massive player for us when we are up against it. How many times has he delivered in these kind of matches now?
Arteta & Per are going to be a great leadership duo this season.
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Didn’t watch mutch of the youth teams, only bits and bobs.
Koscielny seems to score important goals, a good habit! Incredible player.
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It’s reasonable to conclude that Per and Mikel changed the dressing room when they arrived. Great panic buys!
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1st up, Superb article SA. Thanks.
It seems to have been written by a supporter! A knowledgeable one.
I love the way the season’s have been broken down, in relations to OG’s contributions – married with the emergence of a TEAM – who score goals between them.
Perhaps stupidly, I watched Footy Focus and MOTD, with Ars’s match inbetween. The 1st prog, Frolocking Fornicators (FF) set the (Ars) scene in the usual way: They need a striker and Goalkeeper, which is why they won’t challenge, blardy ****ing blah.
MOTD was as expected. For those that watched, did you notice certain things:
The analysis of ManU’s match – very little of either side’s attacks (perhaps there weren’t many. I only saw highlights). Sure, defensive deficiencies were muted (heavily, by the saviour who took his team down to the Championship, and who comes across as a ‘game changer’, in that he seems to shout about a different game to the one shown – that’s so cruelly edited). The main points seemed to be, SSFM, and V Gaul isn’t the saviour.
Having watched the Ars match ‘as live’, should I have been surprised that during the analysis they showed every bad pass Arsenal made (in less than 30 secs), failed to mention Palace’s 25 per cent possession, and talked up CP’s contribution to the match?
I still haven’t seen AW’s full post match presser yet, but in a snippet I saw him say that the sharpness isn’t there yet, which happened to be my way of seeing Ars’s game.
Shurley dey ownly won cos Poolis left, innit?
Back to the article – How high did OG jump – whilst being sandwiched – to get that ball back to whomever shot at Speroni – and AR16 poked in the rebound for our winner? I love the way Arron had the presence of mind to stay onside – same with LK6. Kos done some kind of ‘Owl-neck’ header for the 1st goal. Classy ****er, that guy!
Well done Arsenal.
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nightmare about keiran agin hope its only short term but that seems to have fuelled the rumours of Manolas having a medical now..soon whichever bit you read. anyway three points top of the league so its a start and three points up on the stage last year
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Good morning Positivistas
Giroud is a warrior. Just watch his contribution to the winning goal. He loves the physical challenge because he invariably wins. He is the BEST around at this.
For an opening game we were good. The sloppiness will reduce.
Manolas? I hope so…..
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Aob ….WHAT? Manolas? Haha…..Absolutely not..please god no…..ill lose all faith in wenger if that happens..manolas is shit….fkn carembeu and his oly/wenger connection. This shit has got to stop. I dont understand these relationships with the thieves of piraeus…..
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The one at dortmund is the good one…manolas is a joke…….
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MOTD commentary was not as bad as some have commented on here IMHO. Maybe that is because their comments concord with mine. As you all know I’m a fucking footballing genius. Shearer expects us to challenge for the title. I agree with him.
Arsene in his post match press conference explained that Wilshere was ill this last week. They were unsure about Koscielny for the last three days. So, put this all together with the ‘first game of the season’ syndrome and you are justified in expecting much better things….
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κυνηγός13
I agree that Socrates is a warrior and great defender, but so is Manolas. Don’t let the link with Olympiakos cloud your judgement….
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κυνηγός13
Besides will you modify your opinion of Wenger if he does sign Manolas?
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Also, I have very high hopes that Özil and Walcott are going to make a massive difference this season….
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Manolas is shit…heavy and slow and also stupid. His football education is aek and olympiakos…useless clubs….papastathopoulos has played in serie a for genoa milan and bundesliga for werder i think and now dortmund. Worlds apart. If wenger actually pays money for that arsehole i suspect its a scam-commission deal for carembeu…. no other explanation. It is impossible and i refuse to accept that a football genius like arsene would sign such a useless footballer. If he were good he would have already had a look when he wpuldnt cost the 10-12m i see being quoted. Thats outrageous…criminal almost.
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Modify my opinion? Lol…. it will sadden me thats for sure…it will take me a while to recover…hehe
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Its not going to happen …its fkn carembeu trying to raise the price ….
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You remember tavlaridis…? He was a ‘maldini’ in comparison to this manola shit…
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Walcott’s last two seasons before last were phenomenal…even last year when he played the 10 games whatever he was nuclear. Scores, assists, runs like a demon, great finisher. Love him…fuck arseblog and his 100k per week moans…
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Georgaki those guys are criminals….they are trying to rip us off…i utterly hate the arsenal- oly connections…lol..what are we even doing talking with them? Even when we go play them for the cl wenger always has great things to say about them…agghhem..marseille..cough…. i suspect he does not know their full history of corruption or their owner caught on tapes protecting/bribing refs…or how they buy and loan players to several teams in the league and get 6 points..or how they ‘secure’ champions league football …ehhhm the 25m i mean….
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