Having not scored for seven games, and after just fluffing a great chance to score a goal, you might have understood, if not necessarily forgiven, a negative reaction from a player.
However, when you’re talking about one as good as Alexis Sanchez, you knew it was only a matter of time before he put an end to the mini-drought he’d been suffering.
And so it was, a few moments later, when he tucked away one of the most difficult chances he’s had since that last strikes which came against Stoke back in early January.
Slamming the ball in at the near post he doubled Arsenal’s lead and drew praise from his manager for his character.
“He never gives up and that’s the strength of a good striker as well,” said Arsene Wenger. “He’s resilient and I don’t know what happened before because it looked like, for someone who was desperate to score, he could have taken the chance and he waited for somebody.
“After that, the fact that he could still score shows that he has the mental strength to respond. It’s good because when you don’t score for seven or eight games it is on your mind, even if you don’t say so.”
There were also plaudits fro Olivier Giroud who made it two in two after his Monaco nightmare.
“He’s strong mentally,” Wenger continued. “He can take some criticism and respond. He’s shown that. I feel it was a bit harsh for him because he missed some chances. That can happen.
“Where we were guilty was to concede the goal.”
Both him and Giroud (and any footballer) will have down games or periods.
For those two, lots of ups this season.
One day we will keep a clean sheet. Hopefully its against the shit team on monday
Really if we don’t beat ManUre on Monday there is something sersiously wrong – they really are a shower of shite this season.
How the hell they’re fourth in the league is anyone’s guess – can only be a combination of pure luck and god-awful refereeing.
We’ve been winning ugly ourselves, lets hope we can get it together to give them what they deserve.
We kept one on Sunday v Everton less than a week ago.
Honestly how much has Giroud grown? The guy came here practically a bambi on ice yet his technical ability now is quite commendable. Alexis has just come in already the bollox! Give him 2 years or less i think he will be something quite extraordinary. Exciting times
He has grown quite a bit. But for me if we seriously have to challenge for the title next season. We need a better striker than him… he will never be extraordinary because every time he accelerates it looks like he is pulling a wheel barrow behind him; look at Berbatov as an example……. Truth hurts; love the guy but unless we get a striker with pace to actually turn and run at defenders we are not going to get any further
Quite interesting to use the sneaky ex-spud as an example of speedy strikers.
Maybe we should buy that Chilean guy from Arsenal.
Berbatov is your comparison example as evidence for why Giroud is mediocre? Berbatov won the Golden Boot & helped ManU (the fuckers) win the title in 2011. I don’t understand where you’re coming from.
Except that isn’t his role in the team. We have Alexis, Welbeck, and Theo to provide that pace. Giroud is what he is: a big man who provides something different and bangs in the goals, which he has been doing with aplomb this season.
Note: Whether or not any of those other options are true center forwards (or productive enough, IMO the jury is still out on Welbeck) is a different argument entirely.
Exactly, it’s been years since this team had so much pace in forward areas. Giroud’s gives us a target man who has a great appetite for playing the Arsenal way. I like how he stays in the mix instead of always going straight into the box. His flicks are always a beauty, and he’s obviously proved that he’s a handful for most cb’s in the league. Also, I’d say him, Benteke, and Lukaku are probably the best big men at positioning themselves to take down long balls and keep possession themselves or quickly distribute to teammates. And yea, that Berbatov… Read more »
Yes we need a striker with pace!
Dat guy Welbz has pace. Is he a striker?
Sorry. just realised he’s big and tall. Must be a DM.
Wenger makes me laugh with his molly codling of players : “it’s not fair on him. Giroud didn’t mean to miss 7 shots against Monaco”
No fucking shit.
How many intentionally fuck up in front of millions of people?
That’s not an excuse to keep them or not criticise when a lot is at stake!!
And how exactly would publicly criticising Giroud help anyone? Giroud knows he fucked up, Wenger knows that too. So he defends him publicly, continues to play him and Giroud starts scoring. You don’t need too many brain cells to understand why this approach works.
Theres other ways to defend him than the pathetic “he didnt mean it”. Are you fucking serious?
We’d never get rid of players who cant cut it at Arsenal on that basis. Its about consistency in statements.
Again, are there many strikers who intentionally fuck up? Im sure Chamakh didnt mean to miss his chances with Arsenal either. But I get it – you lot didnt fancy his hair and have “handsome” pet names for him.
Finally someone who gets it. If giroud didn’t have “nice hair”, you think he’ll have people defending him this much?
You think people would say dumb things like “he miscontrolled the ball on purpose when he scored against villa” or “Mandzukic and Dzeko are inferior versions of him” or “he’s in the top 5 best strikers in the world” or “He adds more to this team than any striker would” despite he’s stats no being that stellar?
Only his fansboys don’t want us to get a world class striker so it wouldn’t “kill his confidence”
I’m a huge fan of Giroud, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t welcome a better striker if one became available. The two can go hand in hand. Ironically, the only people saying dumb things are people like you who can’t appreciate the good attributes of a player we’ve got who’s doing well for us. And if you’re genuinely suggesting Mandzukic is better then you a) are an idiot and b) need to stop basing your opinions on players on FIFA, youtube compilations and the one season they had with the then-best team in the world, as a lone striker and about 20… Read more »
@ken
Never made a mistake in your life? Bet you’re the first to get stroppy if someone criticised you or had a pop when you’ve made a mistake.
Where did you infer anything regards how I respond to criticism? In my lime if work if I don’t perform I get sacked simple. And it’s not like it’s Giroud’s first ever blank in a big game. OK so let’s never drop anyone unless they are injured no matter how shit or how many times they let you down and don’t do what they are paid for. Wenger is infamous for mollycodling and not being ruthless enough, just recently an Dixon or Keown said words to that effect. Holding on to players long past their use by date. Besides my… Read more »
Let’s ship Giroud out straight away, the transfer window is open, isn’t it??? Wenger has shot his confidence by not criticising him, he didn’t achieve anything last night.
Ozil too, he is obviously rubbish, with all his running around a lot and making goals for others. He must go now as well.
Giroud now has 10 goals and 3 assists in 14 games. What else do you want him to do? Magically teleport the ball into the back of the oppositions net 15 times in 90 minutes?
So, he had a bad game against Monaco. Do you know that Cristiano Ronaldo fluffed so many chances against Sevilla over the weekend that his side could only come away with 1 point? Even the best in the world have off days. Chill out.
@ken
I wish you were manager with those superb man management skills. Better tell the asylum another one’s escaped.
Some people are so fickle. We put in an unbelievably pathetic performance against Monaco, then we beat a very poor Everton side and relegation-threatened QPR and all of a sudden the same players the same people were criticising a week ago are now Gods and the best ever. The truth is: we’re flat track bullies and until we replace good but not great players like Giroud we won’t win anything of note. We all know what is coming next: a disgraceful performance and loss to Manure.
Who’s ‘we’ exactly? I personally don’t know anything of that kind.
It’s tough for you Ex-Priest Trollin’.
Could you take a while off from supporting Arsenal and come back when you are happier? I think it would be very good for you and would definitely be great for lots of others on here.
Nah he’s right. The truth hurts.
But he is hoping we don’t win against United, or he looks a fool given his comments above.
Tough for an Arsenal supporter to be in such a position. Plus it must be hard to see almost everyone disagree with you time and time again (unless you get pleasure from trolling).
Hence time away would be good for him. And everyone would be a winner from that.
Who in his right mind would want the club he supports to lose??
He’s just being realistic…based on what we’ve seen in the last 8 years or so, we’re certain to lose against manure. we couldn’t beat manure worst team in a decade last season and lost to an almost horrible one at HOME.
Do you honestly blame him for not getting his hopes up??
Everyone wants arsenal to win, but lets be realistic, there’s a slim chance we’re going to get anything out of that game.
I suppose you’d prefer if I do what you do on this site – constantly refresh the screen so I get the first comment on news articles, then make a thoughtless positive remark in an attempt to garner the most thumbs up possible.
I’d prefer that you were a supporter of Arsenal.
If unsure then look at your thumbs down, that gives you an idea of what Arsenal supporters think. It’s not just me. If you have valid criticisms I’m sure people will recognise that and support you. I would.
CB: I couldn’t care less what you think. I will continue to post my honest opinion, no matter how much you continue to whine like a hurt child – you’re wasting your time.
Troll on, then. It’s a free world, you have the choice to say what you want and even be abusive to me, so you can get away from rational argument. I’ll take some comfort that I’m neither hurt or a child, both by a very long way. Nor am I whining.
You thrive on negativity it seems. For your sake, let’s hope United win then and prove you right. I can’t see you being happy unless Arsenal lose, so doubt you are a supporter (root: support).
You wonder what they are smoking at Camp Nou. So glad Alexis is with us now. Him, Cazorla and Ozil are genuine world class players in every ramification.
Alexis is a defender’s nightmare.
Ozil is the invisible one; a catalyst.
Cazorla is the conductor of our attacking ochestra.
I like your shiz
“Ozil is the invisible one; a catalyst” – are you a Robin Hobb fan by any chance?
No. I’ve not read any of his books.
It’s true, you’d think after buying Hleb, Song and Vermaelen they’d wise up and stop doing business with us.
I must admit Alexis was frustrating the hell out of me before his goal. I would actually have subbed him were I the manager; shows how much I know right? Just hope he has finally turned a corner. As per Giroud, if you look at him with Henry tinted glasses, his supposed lack of pace will put you off. But assessed on his own merits and what he brings to the table, he’s excellent. Seems to know where he’s needed most whether in midfield to press, defence to head out corners or attack to finish off or link up chances.… Read more »
“Henry tinted glasses”
Nail on the head there. The comparisons to the great Arsenal strikers of the past are fruitless. Giroud is a completely different player but has been quite good for us.
Why shouldn’t we compare him to our past strikers??
What exactly has Giroud done to be above criticism?? he’s an average striker hyped up by his fanboys to be much more.
No his hold up isn’t the best in the world like some people want us to believe, he isn’t clinical enough, his flicks hardly come off.
Admit he is a decent striker…why is it so hard to do so.
Grow up.
The truth hurts…it truly does.
I get the feeling that even if Oli takes a corner kick himself and flies to still nod that Same kick into the top corner, some fans won’t still be satisfied
Don’t have room for selfish players in this team. He should have passed it.
I though Özil had an amazing game, haters gonna hate
Those whining about Giroud not being world – class should shut up already. The scoreline never shows “Arsenal 2 (World class goals) – QPR 1 (Shirty goal). Everyone player plays to their own strength. But some Arsenal fans have this weird view that all the great players are playing for other teams, which is a pity, really.
I’m not sure if everyone agrees but would Karim benzema be considered a world class striker? I think he may be. I know there has been a ton of talk of us signing him and I’m sure the giroud haters would love him being signed. I am not sure but it it would be interesting to see a comparison of stats between him and giroud both internationally and domestically. I feel giroud may edge him out stats wise for both. Outside Monaco, he has been pretty dominat, and I don’t think he’s handsome and I hate his hair and I… Read more »
Good to see him back on the scoring charts.
Should have grabbed another when him and Giroud dispossessed the hapless Caulker.
Ozil should have had a penalty and great striker only to hit the post. Can’t understand why the media are always having a moan at him.
that he ain’t wearing the Arsenal Jersey automatically makes him a world class player!
Ken and Trez, there is a big difference between not having your hopes up and shitting on your team. Yes we have been poor against that lot for a number of years and depending on your level of optimism you are allowed to not have your hopes up for Monday. That being said, you shouldn’t condemn your team because of your level of hope in the team. please support arsenal through all the times. World class players come and go (the list is endless) but The Arsenal remains. Cheer up lads. Life is bigger than Giroud. Decent striker or not… Read more »
No one is shitting on the team. We’re just stating the deficiencies we see in the team, yet some fanboys take offence.
Giroud is a decent striker, i always say that. I just find it irritating when you get called negative or not a true fan when you RIGHTLY criticize him when he messes up.
Thats why other fans keep taking the mickey out of us…always coming up with lame excuses to justify failure.