Should plan B Giroud be Wenger's weapon of choice against PSG?

“Giroud can be a plan B. I don't know if he's going to be happy coming off the bench but I think you win a title like that,” Arsenal legend Thierry Henry said at the turn of the month on striker Olivier Giroud. The towering Frenchman is yet to start a Premier League game this season, in part owing to an extended rest following Euro 2016 and a toe injury, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger instead using Alexis Sanchez as his main striker. 

Arsenal are reaping the rewards with Alexis the club’s top goalscorer with six league goals to his name, helping return a WhoScored rating of 7.74. Unfortunately for Giroud, though, this means a peripheral role. The France international’s six top-flight appearances this season have all come from the bench, with his only competitive start coming in the 3-2 win at Ludogorets last time out in the Champions League. 

Of course, any footballer wants to be starting week in, week out, but Giroud has the ideal qualities for a player to make an impact late on. As matches come to a head, defences begin to tire and it’s here where Giroud can impress. No player has scored more goals as a substitute than the Gunners man (3) in the Premier League this season. To go with that, he has scored seven goals from his last eight shots on target in England’s top tier, with his recent prolific displays a key asset. 

Substitutes often don’t get many chances on the pitch given the lack of game time, but Giroud quickly adjusts to the needs of his team from the bench. This was evident against Sunderland last month where he scored two goals with his first two touches following his introduction. While he would favour a regular starting spot, Alexis’ fine form early in the season made it difficult for Giroud to force his way into the Arsenal starting XI. 

That being said, he could well have his chance to establish himself as a regular starter when PSG make the trip to London on Wednesday night. Alexis may be one of the first names on the team sheet when fit, but having played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United on Saturday on the back of the international break, Wenger could opt to rest his star man in order to avoid injury, particularly with Arsenal’s place in the next round of the Champions League already guaranteed. 

All that is left to be decided is who secures top spot, with Arsenal and PSG level on 10 points. Indeed, it’s finely poised in the group, though the Gunners will be confident of landing victory having battled to a 1-1 draw in Paris in the reverse fixture. Giroud started the match on the bench and came on just after the hour mark as an Alexis goal earned the Premier League side a point. 

However, it was an evening in France to forget for Giroud back in his homeland as he received his marching orders in the dying embers of the fixture. His WhoScored rating (4.84) is one of the lowest in a single Champions League match this season, so this is not only a chance to re-establish himself as a first team regular under Wenger, but also an opportunity for redemption. 

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Giroud, though, has a respectable record in meetings with PSG in general, with three goals in five starts against the defending Ligue 1 champions. If he is called on to start, which is indeed possible, the frontman has the aerial ability to put the PSG backline to the sword. Only a handful of teams are winning fewer aerial duels per game than Unai Emery’s side (13.1) in Ligue 1 this season, which could play into Arsenal’s favour. 

While a possession-based approach is still a route to goal for the Gunners, should they adopt a direct style on Wednesday night, Giroud is the ideal frontman required. He’s scored more headed goals (21) than any other Premier League since he joined Arsenal in 2012 and if his teammates can put high crosses into the box, he boasts the aerial prowess to overcome Thiago Silva and Marquinhos in the air. 

Wednesday night may well prove to be a crucial encounter for Arsenal. They haven’t made it past the round of 16 of the Champions League since 2010, largely due to finishing second in their group and meeting a team that topped theirs, including Bayern Munich twice and Barcelona once. While they could still meet one of the two teams, along with Juventus and Real Madrid depending on how results go, topping their group would increase their chances of facing a more 'beatable' opponent in the first knockout round and would likely boost the team’s confidence, knowing they can get the better of one of the best teams in Europe. 

That, though, depends on Giroud continuing his good goalscoring form. His inconsistency has often been a stick with which to beat him, but given his current attacking prowess, PSG must be wary of Giroud’s impact for Arsenal in the final third.