Why Olivier Giroud Can Be Arsenal's Key Man Against Tottenham

When Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in the forthcoming north London derby, most eyes will be on marquee talents such as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

However, the Gunners' match-winner could well prove to be a player who was not even first choice a matter of weeks ago. In recent games, Olivier Giroud has demonstrated a hitherto unseen resilience and found his form in style.

Arsenal have enjoyed some landmark victories at the Emirates Stadium of late. In the month of October, they beat both Manchester United and Bayern Munich on home turf. In both those victories, the performance of Theo Walcott at centre-forward was instrumental. His speed and movement added a new dimension to the Arsenal attack—it seemed the Gunners were evolving, moving away from a strategy dependent on Giroud’s hold-up play.

Giroud was understandably concerned. Speaking to Sky Sports in October, he said:

"

Whether it was at Tours, Montpellier or Arsenal, I have never experienced a situation like this, I have often played from the start. I need to take positives and to harden myself mentally. It is something new for me.

It has been for several matches now that I have played less, that is for sure, but I do not need to be worried. I need a bit more game time but also to believe more in my abilities.

"

He needn’t have worried too much. When an injury suffered in late October robbed Arsenal of Walcott’s services, Giroud’s chance arrived. He has seized the opportunity since coming back into the team. Giroud has been excellent.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

The recovery in Giroud’s form can be traced back to the last international break, when he scored twice for France in a 2-1 victory over Denmark. Since then, he has scored three goals in just 200 minutes of Premier League action. 

He now stands clear of Alexis as Arsenal’s top goalscorer. Giroud has found the net eight times this season despite playing five fewer games than the Chilean. Even when Arsenal disappointed in the midweek defeat against Bayern Munich, Giroud managed to find the net with a spectacular volley. He is suddenly full of confidence.

He’s also undoubtedly the in-form marksman heading into the derby game. According to fantasy sports site Football Fanager, he is scoring at approximately twice the rate of Tottenham’s homegrown hero, Harry Kane. While Kane has averaged a goal every 180 minutes in Premier League football, Giroud has hit the net once every 88.5 minutes.

Football Fanager

That’s the most efficient ratio in the entire division, putting the Frenchman clear of Sergio Aguero and even the red-hot Jamie Vardy.

Perhaps being dropped from the side lit a fire under Giroud. Since returning to the team, he has seemingly been more willing to use his physicality to full effect. Whereas back in August he occasionally shied away from more intimidating challenges, he is now making use of his impressive upper-body strength to take on even the toughest centre-halves.

Giroud is a powerhouse, and when he plays with commitment, he is very difficult to handle.

Tottenham have developed an effective central-defensive partnership in Belgian duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. However, they will have their work cut out keeping Giroud at bay. The man who was on the fringes of the team just a few weeks ago could be their leading man on derby day.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.