Arsenal legend defends Olivier Giroud amidst Gunners wobble

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Arsenal great Ian Wright has insisted that if the Gunners fail to win the title, it won’t be because of Olivier Giroud’s limitations.

Arsene Wenger’s side have wobbled in recent weeks; they were humiliated 3-0 by Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup, thrashed 5-1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and largely outplayed by Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, before rallying and securing a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal’s strikers have yet to hit the heights of some of their contemporaries in the Premier League. Giroud has managed six goals in 12 outings, injury-prone Theo Walcott has scored just two in eight appearances while Alexis Sanchez, the team’s joint top scorer on six, has appeared lethargic and hasn’t found the net in his last five outings.

Similarly, it remains to be seen whether Joel Campbell can step up and prove himself as Arsenal class, while Danny Welbeck remains out of action due to injury.

Writing for The Sun, Wright—who scored 128 goals in 221 league games for the Gunners—has urged the club’s fans not to blame Giroud for the team’s failings.

“The Frenchman didn’t have his finest hour against Spurs,” Wright began, speaking of Giroud, “but to put all the blame at his door is unfair and wrong.

“If Arsenal do see their title hopes go up in smoke again this season, it won’t be down to the fact that Giroud is up front.

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“Any more than it will be down to the fact Theo Walcott or Danny Welbeck are there. Don’t forget, both those two have taken their share of flak.

“With Theo it was a case of ‘he’s not a central striker, they can’t win it with him playing down the middle’.

“With Danny it’s been ‘he’s not prolific enough for a man who plays as a central striker, and never gets the number of goals he should’.

“All of them may well be valid points, but the most crucial of all is this — no one will win the league with just one guy up there.

“But if all three are fit, then, yes, of course Arsenal can do it.”

After the international break, the Gunners renew their Premier League campaign away at West Bromwich Albion, before attempting to salvage their miserable run in the Champions League away at Dinamo Zagreb.

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