Arsene Wenger shows steadfast faith in Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud has had a brutal start to the season. He’s missed seven games due to injuries, only tallied 78 minutes of playing time this season and has zero goals and assists to his name so far this campaign. Despite these setbacks and disappointments his manager still has faith in him as a key player on this team.

Per The Guardian:

“I am an admirer of Giroud because he has gone through some tough times and he bounces back,” Wenger said. “When his back is to the wall, he has an answer every time. When I go into a big game, you always think: ‘I can rely on him.’ You know that when the competition starts, he will be with you.”

Giroud, often a target of criticism from fans and the media alike, has generally been able to shake off the commentary for the most part and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Wenger.

“The criticism does knock him. He’s not made of metal. He’s sensitive but sensitive and strong. Everybody wants to be loved. I’ve never seen anyone who dreams to be hated. But it is dealing with the fact that it doesn’t always go your way that makes a man.”

The emergence of Alexis Sanchez as a viable number 9, coupled with the addition of Lucas Perez, has lessened Arsenal’s reliance on Giroud when compared to past seasons, but all indications point to him resuming as one of Wenger’s most trusted weapons even when taking his current struggles into consideration.