Out of all of Arsene Wenger’s signings, it can be safely said that Olivier Giroud has been the one who has struggled to settle in the most. However, after managing to open his Premier League scoring account a couple of weeks ago, the Frenchman claims that the strike has given him the necessary confidence to go on and become a good player for the club.
Giroud signed for the Gunners in a deal said to be worth £13m in the summer. At the time, he arrived with a sterling reputation as a natural goal scorer, with his twenty one goals last year helping underdogs Montpellier lift the Ligue 1 title in France. This meant that Arsenal fans were certainly eager to see him in action, with many hoping that he could replace the goals that the departing Robin van Persie contributed last term.
However, it would be fair to say that the 25-year-old struggled immensely in the opening weeks of the season. While two of Wenger’s other recruits, Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski, shined in the Gunners’ first team, Giroud seemed to be void of any confidence and just wasn’t able to convert any chance that came his way. Bearing this in mind, there was relief on the face of many as he slotted in an equaliser for the club against Newcastle a couple of weeks ago. That goal happened to be his second for the club, with his first arriving towards the end of September in the 6-1 demolition of Coventry.
Following the important goal, Giroud says that he has been benefited enormously. He told the press, “That goal is definitely one of my top five. It has also come at a time when I am looking for trust. After the West Ham game I felt a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I am convinced this last goal will also do me a lot of good.”
