Arsene Wenger assesses Arsenal's performance against BATE Borisov and revels in Olivier Giroud's 100th goal for the club. Theo Walcott had no problem denying himself a hat trick to let Giroud take the penalty kick to reach 100 clubs goals.
Olivier Giroud's 100th goal for Arsenal wasn't one of his most memorable -- a clinically-taken penalty against BATE Borisov in a Europa League game the Gunners were already comfortably winning -- but, in some ways, it was a fitting way to reach his milestone, in that it mirrored his overall contribution to the club: Getting the job done in a workmanlike way, often under the radar while others around him get more attention.
The French striker has long been a divisive figure among Arsenal fans, many of whom still feel that the lack of a truly world-class striker has been holding the team back for several years. Indeed, it's not until recently, when Giroud accepted the role as a super sub in the Premier League, that the supporter base seems to have embraced him wholeheartedly.
But his century of goals highlights how those lambasting Giroud in the past may have been wrong about the striker. Here are three reasons why Giroud's contributions remain underrated:
1. Scoring rate
Giroud is certainly not the most prolific goalscorer Arsenal have ever seen. He has never netted more than 16 Premier League goals in a season, despite being the team's main striker for five years, and his season average is fewer than 20 goals in all competitions.
However, as many were quick to point out on social media, he reached his 100th goal in fewer games than Robin van Persie -- 237 compared to 238 -- and that's even more remarkable when you consider that 75 of Giroud's appearances have been as a substitute. In the modern era, only Ian Wright (143 games) and Thierry Henry (181) have been faster to get to 100.
Olivier Giroud may not be a world-class striker but he can be a dangerous scorer, particularly with his head.
2. Link-up play
Giroud may not be a world-class striker in terms of scoring, but few centre-forwards are better at the type of one-touch link-up play upon which Arsenal's attack is so dependent. Those skills have been forgotten at times in the absence of Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla, the two midfielders most able to make the most of such qualities.
But Arsenal's opening goal at BATE was the result of a quick give-and-go between Wilshere and Giroud and who will ever forget the pair's link-up for Wilshere's classic goal against Norwich in 2013? Mesut Ozil is great at picking out Giroud for headers in the area, but the striker is at his best when combining with a midfielder to unlock defences with intricate passing moves and a run into the box. Perhaps no one is happier than Giroud to see Wilshere back in an Arsenal shirt.
3. Aerial threat
Let's not forget the one thing Giroud does better than any other Premier League striker: Score with his head. Since his arrival in 2012, the Frenchman has netted 26 headers -- more than anyone in the league during that time. In all of Europe's major leagues, only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more headers -- 33 -- during that span.
Giroud's last one was the winning goal in the dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Leicester on the season's opening day, while others included the vital equaliser at Manchester United last season. One can only wonder how many headers he may have scored if Arsenal had more players who can consistently deliver a decent cross.
Mattias is ESPN FC's Arsenal correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @MattiasKaren.
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Source: espn.co.uk