Chelsea are off to a good start under Maurizio Sarri as they have won their first two games of the season. The game against Arsenal have shown their defensive vulnerabilities but these are still early days, and the manager would be delighted that he has clocked in full points on the table. Chelsea’s strike force is going to be a matter of concern though as Alvaro Morata is woefully out of form. With Olivier Giroud waiting in the wings, we try to analyse whether the World Cup winner warrants a place over Morata over the next few games.
Not many players have divided the footballing fraternity like Giroud. Even when he was with Arsenal, he wasn’t able to get regular starts. However, he was more than a handy substitute to have as he scored quite a lot of his goals for the Gunners coming off the bench.
Made His Impact On The World Cup Despite The Lack Of Goals!
He might have won the World Cup with France and have been regular for them for the most of the tournament but many would still ‘troll’ him for not even having a shot on target in the tournament. However, he had played his role well, and it was only after the introduction of him from the second game that France looked like world beaters as in the first game against Australia, when they started with Antoine Griezmann up front, they laboured to a win.
Giroud brings aerial threat and physicality up the pitch, and his hold up play is also up to the mark. He links up well with his team-mates and is known for his clever little flicks in and around the penalty box. We agree to the fact that he can be a frustrating player to watch sometimes as he often fluffs his line after getting into positions but, the 31-year-old has made decent contributions in the Premier League.
Proven Premier League Pedigree
He has scored 76 goals and provided a further 28 assists and that brings his goal contribution to one every 114minutes. That means he either scores or provides an assist every other game. He also happens to be the 12th fastest Arsenal striker to reach the hundred goal mark. Ahead of the likes of much acclaimed Robin Van Persie and Dennis Bergkamp in the list. So there is no doubt about the calibre of the player. He might not be a forward who can create something out of nothing, but if the midfielders and wingers provide him with decent service, he will find the back of the net regularly.
Morata Though Is A Confidence Player
Coming back to his situation at Chelsea, we believe that the Frenchman is going to find it tough to start over Morata. Sarri is known to use a much mobile forward upfront instead of a target man. The Spaniard might have had a dismal season last year, but Morata is someone who is a ‘confidence player’.
If things are going right for him and he is in the right head space, he would do much better. His performance in the first two games was up to the mark, and he opened his season by scoring a good goal against Arsenal. All of a sudden dropping him for Giroud would mess up with his confidence. On the other hand, Giroud is used to playing as an impact sub, and when things aren’t going right or when the manager needs a change in plans, he can always call upon the Frenchman to change the game. So until and unless Morata’s form drops badly, we expect the Spaniard to start over the Frenchman in the next few games.
