How Will Arsenal's Front Line Look with Olivier Giroud Back in the Team?

It was a finish that reminded all watching of Olivier Giroud’s importance at Arsenal. In the context of the result, it meant little, and David de Gea’s outstretched arm may have sent it into the top corner. But the consolation goal against Manchester United offered a teaser of what might follow the Frenchman’s return to fitness. 

The Gunners have endured a difficult start to the Premier League season with even majority shareholder Alisher Usmanov asking questions of Arsene Wenger’s stewardship of the north London club.

Injuries to key players like Giroud have significantly hindered Arsenal this term, but it isn’t in attack where they are struggling. In fact, the goalscoring form of new signings Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck have been a rare highlight in an otherwise disappointing season for the Gunners.

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So considering this, what impact will Giroud’s return from injury have? How will Wenger squeeze a fully fit Giroud into his side? How will Arsenal’s front line look with their French focal point back in the team?

Of course, even with Sanchez’s flying start—in which the Chilean has scored 12 goals in just 19 games—Giroud is Arsenal’s No. 9, even if he wears the No. 12 on his back.

The Frenchman has largely proved his detractors wrong over the past two years or so. The striker took time to adapt to life in the Premier League following his £12 million move from Montpellier yet embraced the goalscoring burden at Arsenal last season, finishing the campaign as the Gunners’ top scorer with 18 goals.

While Giroud was often left isolated and out of sync with the rest of his team in his debut season in the Premier League, now he is a central component in Arsenal’s dynamic and free-flowing footballing character.

His touch has improved, as has his link-up play, and most crucially his finishing. His goal against Man Utd on Sunday showed that injury hasn’t robbed him of that touch.

So how will Wenger make the most of Giroud while also finding places for Sanchez and Wenger, who have both impressed in their first few months at Arsenal?

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Could Wenger employ a 4-3-3 formation to fit Giroud, Sanchez and Welbeck into the same starting lineup? The Gunners have been known to play a similar system, with wingers flanking a central striker, but will the Arsenal coach commit to an even more attacking formation?

And if Wenger does that, will there be places for the likes of Santi Cazorla, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott? Will a change in formation mean a wider shift in approach for the Gunners?

It seems likely that Welbeck—despite his good form of late—will be the one to drop out of the lineup when Giroud is fit enough to start games, although Wenger will most probably rotate his team over the busy festive period.

However, Giroud will play no part in Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday after the club made the mistake of not including the Frenchman on its squad list for the competition’s group stage, per ESPN FC.

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The striker wasn’t expected to be back in training for at least another two weeks, and so his return comes as a welcome surprise for Arsenal. But he will improve the one area of the Gunners’ team that isn’t toiling right now.

Although Wenger would never admit to as much, the widespread consensus is that Welbeck was signed on transfer deadline day to soften the blow of losing Giroud to injury for so long.

Now Wenger must find a way to prove Giroud, Sanchez and Welbeck can play in the same team. The Arsenal boss has already adapted his principles in order to sign such players. It might be the case that he now needs to adapt his playing style too.