Arsene Wenger challenges Olivier Giroud to start scoring in Premier League

 
David Smith27 September 2012

Arsene Wenger has put Olivier Giroud’s timely goal-scoring and goal-providing performance against League One strugglers Coventry City into perspective by challenging Arsenal’s new striker to repeat it against the Premier League elite.

Giroud, on the bench for Arsenal’s last two Premier League games, made a case for returning to the starting line-up against leaders Chelsea in Saturday’s derby at the Emirates by playing a pivotal role in his side’s 6-1 thumping of Coventry that earned a Capital One Cup fourth round tie with Reading.

The £12 million summer signing from Montpellier finally got off the mark in his seventh appearance in an Arsenal shirt with the first goal last night, a coolly-taken chip over the advancing Joe Murphy after Francis Coquelin slid the ball into his team-mate’s path.

And after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain beat Murphy with a swerving long-range screamer, Giroud cleverly laid on the square pass for Andre Arshavin to celebrate his return from the Arsenal wilderness with a well-taken strike.

The hulking French international might have had even more to celebrate had he not had a penalty saved early in the second half. But while he posed a constant threat to a tactically naïve Coventry defence, that was the least that Wenger would have expected of him.

The Arsenal boss said: “It was in everybody’s mind that the sooner he got his first goal the better it would be. It was a good finish, but Olivier is a good finisher.

“At the moment I believe he is looking for confidence again, and that goal will help him. I expect him to take that confidence into the Premier League.”

In fact, Wenger now has an embarrassment of riches in attack. Having fielded a completely different starting XI from the one that drew at Manchester City on Sunday, he saw Theo Walcott net twice to send out a new message that an extended contract has to come claused with an agreement that he can move in from the wing and play a more central striking role.

Wenger, whose side remains unbeaten after seven games in all competitions this season, said: “There are plenty of messages, but we like these messages when players score goals. Theo played well. Chamberlain played well, Arshavin played well, Giroud scored. So all our offensive players have shown that they deserve to play, and that’s what you want.”

It would not have been lost on Wenger that both Walcott’s goals came from the England player cutting in from either wing. So would he countenance Walcott trying his luck in the middle? “I am not against it,” Wenger replied. “He is a great finisher now. In front of goal he is absolutely amazing.

“But at the moment we have a big competition up front. We have a different formula and the team is doing well. His time will come, but at the moment we have to be a bit patient.”

Arsenal’s other scorer, also with his goal first for the club, was the excellent Ignasi Miquel. But just as significant, Emmanuel Frimpong came off the bench in the second half for his return to action after seven months out with a knee injury.

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