It's amazing that after two decades in charge at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger's decisions can still leave the fans feeling surprised and confused. The choice of Olivier Giroud over Danny Welbeck at the Stadium of Light is one such instance. Currently enduring the worst spell of his Gunners career, the Frenchman must surely be relegated to the substitutes bench for the remainder of the season.
He had started the previous game against West Brom. That was understandable. With Arsenal playing on Thursday and then facing Sunderland on the Sunday, a degree of rotation was necessary. However, Giroud produced nothing against the Baggies to suggest he deserved to retain his place. He fired one shot from point-blank range directly into the goalkeeper's face, but was largely anonymous.
Welbeck didn't play a single minute against West Brom, and most onlookers assumed that was to keep him fresh for the Sunderland match. However, when the teams were announced, Giroud was once again named as the focal point of the Arsenal attack.
Perhaps there's an underlying fitness issue with Welbeck that hasn't been made public. The England international only returned from severe cartilage damage a couple of months ago and he may be finding his return to regular football somewhat demanding. However, the fact that Welbeck was deemed fit enough to come on against Sunderland suggests there is no major problem.
That makes the selection of Giroud all the more bewildering. Some have argued the Frenchman was included on account of his aerial presence -- and it's true that he is very effective when it comes to defending set-pieces. However, this was a Sunderland outfit lining up with the diminutive Jermain Defoe as their centre-forward. Compared to other Sam Allardyce sides, they're not particularly physical. What's more, it's a worrying sign when a striker is included principally because of their defensive qualities.
Going forward, Giroud has offered little of late. Incredibly, he has now failed to score in 19 out of his last 20 Arsenal appearances. The one match in which he did find the net was an FA Cup replay against Championship Hull City. Even the maligned Theo Walcott ended up on the scoresheet in that particular game.
Of course, he's still Arsenal's leading goalscorer with 20 goals in all competitions. Perhaps it speaks to the scale of Arsenal's underachievement that no one has been able to surpass him during his dry spell. However, that tally illustrates the point that those who deride Giroud as a poor player are being unfair. For the most part, he's decent enough.
However, few top-class strikers have endured a run quite as bad as this. Giroud has always been a patchy player. His goals tend to come in fits and starts over the course of the campaign. However, this run stretches back to January. This is not a dip in form, it's a half-season slump.
His confidence is shot. Against Sunderland, there was one instance that perfectly summed up his current state. The man who should be offering Arsenal a target for crosses found himself stranded out on the left wing. His subsequent attempted back heel simply gifted the ball back to the opposition. After the match, Wenger himself admitted that the frontman "can not score at the moment." That quote only serves to make the decision to play him all the more bizarre.
It's not just what he contributes as an individual, it's what his presence does to the team. With Welbeck up top, Arsenal appeared to have been cultivating an attacking strategy based on mobility, flexibility and speed. With Giroud in the side, they resort to the painfully predictable "wall-pass" strategy, which sees them attempt to rebound short passes off the Frenchman's frame to unpick the opposition defence. It's incredibly frustrating to watch.
Arsenal ought to be using what's left of this campaign to develop an attacking style that can carry them into next year. The way Giroud has tailed off this season suggests he should not be an integral part of that. He'll be 30 later this year, so Wenger may even have to accept that the striker is past his peak. It's time for Giroud to be relegated from first-choice on a permanent basis.