Does Giroud fit?

Arsenal strengthened their grip on the Champions League places by beating Norwich but the nervy 1-0 win provided little entertainment for a disillusioned fanbase. Another ineffectual display from Olivier Giroud was a particular source of frustration…

If it was surprising to see Olivier Giroud in Arsenal’s starting line-up against Sunderland last weekend, it was doubly so to see him stay there for the visit of Norwich. The Frenchman’s Premier League scoring drought stretched to 801 minutes with a poor showing at the Stadium of Light, and he added another 90 to the total on a difficult afternoon in north London.

The muted protests around the Emirates Stadium suggested many Arsenal supporters are still on Arsene Wenger’s side, but his continued faith in Giroud must be testing their patience. It looked all the more puzzling as Danny Welbeck netted the decisive goal just three minutes and seven seconds after coming off the bench.

Giroud did, at least, provide the cushioned header to set up the goal, but that was about the only thing that went right for him all afternoon. The misfiring striker has not scored in the Premier League since Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool in January, and he has only found the net in one of his last 21 appearances in all competitions.

The drought never looked like ending against Norwich, who came to soak up pressure and hit the Gunners on the break. In the first half, Arsenal had Petr Cech to thank for keeping the scores level with two saves from Nathan Redmond, and at the other end they failed to muster a single first half shot on target for the fourth time in …

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