Olivier Giroud — Underrated.
Written by Anubhav Dasgupta (Twitter @unelementary_)
Olivier Giroud has always got the short end of the stick. Derided for missing chances at Arsenal, ridiculed for not scoring a goal in France’s world cup winning run, and kept out of the team by other strikers at Chelsea. Yet, there is no doubting his quality.
The Frenchman’s transfer to Chelsea was absurd in a way. Antonio Conte had won the Premier League with a fit and firing Diego Costa, yet within a couple of months, they had fallen out. It led to the striker being frozen out of the team and the marquee signing of Alvaro Morata. The Spaniard’s early promise, too, fizzled out far too quickly, and Chelsea were left looking for further reinforcements. Enter Olivier Giroud.
Not the most attractive option, Giroud is quite the traditional centre-forward. He occupies defenders, provides an out-ball, and holds up the ball for his fellow attackers. At Arsenal, he wasn’t always the first choice striker, often coming on as a substitute. One such foray produced one of the well remembered moments in recent Premier League history. Giroud had made the run into the box, but the ball arrived just behind him. He jutted out his back leg and hooked it right into the top corner. It was a beautiful goal, the kind that we don’t often see in football.
Somehow, it’s only after his move across London that Giroud’s ability has been properly appreciated. He produced a fantastic moment within his first few months, when he dribbled past three defenders and poked the ball past the goalkeeper against Southampton. The goal set Chelsea on the road to victory and into the FA Cup final. Earlier that month, Giroud had scored twice against the same opposition, helping Chelsea come from behind.
The next season, Maurizio Sarri arrived, and he found himself back on the bench. Alvaro Morata, and later, Gonzalo Higuain, kept the Frenchman on the bench in the Premier League. In the Europa League, however, Giroud was the undisputed starter, and boy did he make good of it! He ended up with the Europa League Golden Boot, and produced a fine display against former club Arsenal, coming up with a goal and an assist, while also winning a penalty.
Chelsea’s revolving door of managers brought club legend Frank Lampard to the helm. And once again Giroud found himself third choice. The fighter that he is, he made it back to the first team in the second half, scoring eight crucial goals that helped Chelsea qualify for the Champions League. It is telling, that three years into his Chelsea career, Giroud has outlasted three managers and is thriving under a fourth.
The goal against Atletico is only another reminder of his ability. Many doubted Deschamps’ decision to prefer him over a number of other strikers, notably, Karim Benzema. And the lack of goals was further fodder for his ridicule. But Deschamps knew what he was doing. Giroud made the attack click. He kept the defenders occupied, allowing Mbappe and Griezmann the space to operate. He could keep the ball at his feet in enemy territory, keeping possession while his teammates surged forward. He connected the play, and not many strikers can do that as effectively as him.
Giroud, in many ways, has been Chelsea’s “Plan B” striker, called upon when more vaunted strikers have failed. He bailed out Morata in 17/18, then made up for Tammy Abraham’s poor run of form in 19/20, while this season, his effect has been twofold. Not only have his goals taken some of the disappointment off a misfiring Timo Werner, but he has also allowed the German to operate just off him as an inside forward like his Leipzig days. Werner’s overall play has improved in recent weeks, and Giroud has been a major factor.
His four-goal effort against Sevilla was a timely reminder, that there’s also a prolific streak in him. It isn’t only the overall lay that we must look for. Giroud has an incredible record in terms of stars at Chelsea. He hasn’t started too often, but when he has started, he’s found his scoring boots. Arsenal fans still berate him for not scoring more goals in combination with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. They have gone so far as to blame him for Ozil being unable to break Thierry Henry’s assist record him the 2015/16 season. The German finished with 19, one short of a record that has since been equalled by Kevin de Bruyne. His departure also paved the way for Aubameyang’s arrival, so it’s not a sale they feel particularly sad about.
He is a striker for the big occasion, however. The FA Cup semi-final, Europa League final. He stepped up with goals when Chelsea needed and kept them in the top four. Against Rennes in the Champions League, Serhou Guirassy’s goal seemed to have secured a point for the French side, but a fantastic header from Giroud brought home all three points. His four goals against Sevilla secured top spot in their Champions League group. Against Atletico, his acrobatic hit helped Chelsea take an important win into the second leg against tricky, defensively strong opponents.
Olivier Giroud is often under-appreciated, but time and again, he has proved his value and just how good he is. He is eight goals away from becoming France’s all-time top goalscorer, and that is not an achievement to be taken lightly. He is just a brilliant striker who has remained an underrated presence in world football. He is ageing like fine wine, however, and there’s at least two or three years left at the highest level. We’ll all be watching him as he scores more of those fantastic goals.
