Olivier Giroud's Moment of Madness Will Cost Arsenal over the Festive Period

Since he returned from a fractured leg, Olivier Giroud’s form has been one of the highlights of Arsenal’s underwhelming season. However, a moment of madness against Queens Park Rangers very nearly made him the villain of the piece.

Arsenal were 1-0 up and cruising when the red mist descended over Giroud. Chasing a loose ball, he appeared to receive a shove from Nedum Onuoha that sent him tumbling into Rangers keeper Rob Green.

It was a foul by Onuoha and, had Giroud kept his cool, may well have been punished accordingly. Instead, the Frenchman leapt to his feet and thrust his forehead against Onuoha’s. The referee had no choice and duly brandished the red card.

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From a position of complete control, Arsenal now found themselves facing unexpected jeopardy. Until that moment, QPR had barely offered any threat at all. However, encouraged by their numerical advantage, Harry Redknapp’s men rallied to have the Gunners on the ropes.

Although a counter-attacking goal from Tomas Rosicky had put Arsenal two up, Charlie Austin later converted a dubious penalty to ensure a frantic final few minutes.

A combination of wasteful Rangers crossing and stout Arsenal defenders ensured the Gunners held on to take three points, but it should never have been so close. If not for Giroud’s recklessness, Arsenal would likely have won far more comfortably. 

The ramifications of his error will extend well beyond this game. As his offence will be classified as violent conduct, Giroud will now miss the next three matches. They are crucial games for the Gunners, as the next two fixtures see them face off against sides that are currently ahead of them: West Ham and Southampton. 

Giroud’s absence at Upton Park will be keenly felt. It’s not just about his attacking threat—he also makes a key contribution on the defensive side.

His aerial ability makes him vitally important to Arsenal’s defensive setup at set pieces. No team has scored more goals from dead balls in 2014/15 than the Hammers, and Arsenal will be skittish about the prospect of facing Andy Carroll without their best header of the ball. 

The loss of Giroud is made all the more problematic by the fact that the goals appear to have dried up for Danny Welbeck. The England international has now struck just once in his last dozen matches.

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At least Arsenal will be able to call upon Alexis Sanchez. While he is unlikely to be able to tame Carroll, he could still single-handedly win the Gunners the game. Against QPR, he recovered from missing an early penalty to notch a goal and an assist. He is a match-winner, and he is increasingly invaluable to Wenger’s struggling side. 

The victory was Wenger's 600th Arsenal win and his 400th win in the Premier League. However, Wenger is not given to dwelling on landmarks. Instead, his focus will turn immediately to the next game, which is now just two days away. Without Giroud, the Hammers are sure to provide an even sterner test.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.