#3 Giroud the super-sub keeps up his excellent record
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Giroud has had to remain patient for much of this season, with his first Premier League start not arriving until late December against West Bromwich Albion.
He was again left on the substitutes’ bench on Wednesday night, with Welbeck chosen as the sole centre-forward, but – not for the first time – Giroud still succeeded in making an impact. His was, in truth, a simple finish, but the former Montpellier frontman was in the right place at the right time to nod Aaron Ramsey’s header past Fraser Forster.
The Frenchman may have started only nine matches this term, with his average appearance lasting just 39 minutes, but he has still scored 10 goals – he is, therefore, putting the ball in the back of the net every 103 minutes, which is a better record than the likes of Sanchez, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Sergio Aguero, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa.
Welbeck offers more speed and mobility at the top of the pitch than Giroud, whose strengths lie in his ability in the air and his one-touch link-up play. The 30-year-old is by no means perfect, but it is difficult to argue with his contributions in testing circumstances this term.
