There are plenty of reasons to find Olivier Giroud an irritating performer: his prancing step, for example, which is more what you’d expect in a dressage ring than on a football pitch.
It conspires with eyes forever rolling to the heavens - neither characteristic suits such a big and muscular fellow — in delivering an impression of a centre-forward without the class and cool concentration of, say, Robert Lewandowski.
Then there is the pain threshold. Real or affected, Giroud’s is not so much low as subterranean.
We saw at least two instances of it in Piraeus last night. Those encountering the Frenchman for the first time might have feared for his ankle ligaments and sciatic nerve but in each case he recovered miraculously and the completion of his hat-trick was entirely unaffected.
Given that his goals kept Arsenal in the Champions League — and, more importantly for their season overall, out of the Europa League, a campaign in which would probably have put paid to their hopes of the Premier League title — Giroud is a hero today. And rightly so.
He had looked a fool in the opening group match in Zagreb, where Arsenal lost after he got himself sent off in the 40th minute for first dissent and then an equally silly foul. By the end of the series he showed his best attributes — notably smart movement — and deserved the luck that deserted Olympiakos with the first and third goals.
Olympiakos vs Arsenal - player ratings
It would, however, have been ridiculous if Arsenal had gone out. Arsene Wenger’s men gave a superb team display in the image of the evergreen Mathieu Flamini.
They defended by the skin of their teeth at times — poor Per Mertesacker once had to lumber from the penalty area with apparent recklessness because so many midfielders remained at the other end — but, from a supposedly injury-ravaged side, this was very good. Giroud and all, they have earned their winter Thursday nights by the fireside.
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