Proof Olivier Giroud of Arsenal is the most wasteful striker in the Premier League

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Olivier Giroud came in for criticism against Manchester United last week, and these stats show all season he has been wasteful.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud made the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the weekend, and will be keen to get back to scoring on the pitch as soon as possible.

The Frenchman is expected to start against Bayern Munich in midweek, after being rested in favour of Yaya Sanogo against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

After a bright start to the season, the pressure of leading the line for the Gunners week in and week out has taken a little bit of it’s toll on the striker, despite a scoring burst over the festive period, he has faded of late.

His flaws are illustrated by the following table, which illustrates him as the player in the Premier League who has missed the most ‘big chances’ of any player.

The stats, compiled by Opta, define a ‘big chance’ as simply a ‘clear cut opportunity.’

It won’t amuse Arsenal fans to discover Giroud has missed almost twice as many clear cut chances as Tottenham disappointment Roberto Soldado. Four of Soldado’s big chances scored however, came from penalty kicks.

Giroud was particularly wasteful against Manchester United, hitting the target with none of his five attempts on goal.

In comparison to the two striker at the top of the list alongside Giroud, he compares particularly unfavourably in terms of shots landed on target.

Arsenal continue to be linked with a new striker, and Giroud does not help himself with his 10 league goals lagging behind the likes of Luis Suarez, 23, in the scoring charts.

A strong end to the season can make his bargaining power stronger come the summer, as he’s always maintained he does not want to be giving up his spot.

With the title race rising up, and a crucial Champions League match against Bayern this week – now is the time for Giroud to start taking his game to a new level.

image: © Ronnie Macdonald