Olivier Giroud Endures Nightmare as Arsenal Suffer Champions League Collapse

LONDON — In recent weeks, Olivier Giroud has been one of the key components in Arsenal’s resurgent form.

However, against Monaco he endured a personal nightmare. The forward's misfiring display on Wednesday was one disappointment among a multitude, as Arsenal suffered a 3-1 defeat that leaves their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.

Going behind to a deflected Geoffrey Kondogbia strike left Arsenal having to chase the game.

Had Giroud’s finishing been more efficient, that pursuit might have been significantly more productive. First, he scooped a first-half chance over the bar when well-placed, then he failed to turn an Alexis Sanchez cross in at the near post.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

As the misses mounted, his frustration grew. The psychological toll of his ordeal was etched on to his face.

The final miss was the worst of all. When Sanchez’s shot was parried by Danijel Subasic, the Frenchman somehow fired the rebound high over the crossbar. Giroud held his head in his hands.

This was not to be his night.

Manager Arsene Wenger had seen enough. With just 60 minutes played, Giroud was hauled off for Theo Walcott. He departed having had six attempts directed toward goal, each of which had failed to find the target.

When his number came up on the board, there were cheers of relief from the Arsenal fans.

Clive Mason/Getty Images

That will have hurt Giroud, but Wenger did the right thing. The forward’s confidence was visibly spiralling and it was beginning to inhibit his game. By the time he was removed, even the simplest pass was going astray. Unfortunately, Giroud had become another obstacle for Arsenal to overcome.

It’s difficult to understand what came over a striker who had previously been in such terrific form.

In the past, he has been dogged by accusations that he could not deliver in big games. However, he has responded to that with goals against Liverpool and both Manchester clubs this season.

This has to be written off as a horrendous night at the office for Giroud.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

He’s not alone in that respect. Everything that could possibly have gone wrong for Arsenal did. From the opening kick-off, Arsenal played with an inhibition that has become agonisingly familiar on these big occasions.

It is difficult to explain how Arsenal manage to look so naive despite facing this scenario again and again.

Perhaps the most painful aspect of the evening is that having gotten themselves back into the tie through a superb Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal, they managed to concede again. Monaco’s third goal delivered a hammer blow to Arsenal’s chances of progression.

Having somehow found a way back in to contention, the guileless play which saw the Ligue 1 side’s lead extended was truly staggering.

For Giroud, the important thing now is to get straight back on the horse. Strikers thrive on confidence, and dropping him could further damage his already-bruised ego. He needs to remain in the line-up and hope to be back among the goals in order to restore his self-esteem as quickly as possible.

Arsenal’s Champions League campaign may find retribution harder to achieve. The Gunners need a three-goal victory against a Monaco side with a famously parsimonious defence.

The task ahead of Arsenal is almost as large as the sense of disappointment that has swiftly descended upon the Emirates Stadium.

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.