In my mother tongue (Lugbara) radiating from Arua (The Sweetest Place since 1914) plus spoken in East and Central Africa, "air" is called "oli". That describes Olivier Giroud, but on facebook, twitter and whatsapp, fans usually remark that Oli is slow and misses many chances. Even Thierry Henry worried that Arsenal cannot win Premiership with Giroud, yet it's a team effort. Sometimes when Giroud comes on as a Supersub, he actually scores and deserves to start. He just plays the game his own way. In the French Ligue 1, he showed his instinctive aerial power during Montpellier's maiden-trophy-winning season sparking interest from Arsenal.
Thierry played more minutes and thrived, but Oli, despite injury last season, has more goals since his 2012 debut than every current EPL player except Man City's Aguero. Oli's goal ratio keeps improving: scored every 2.8 games in 2013, 2.5 in 2014, 1.8 in 2015. This season he might get 1.5. He also has the Most Headed Goals making him the King of the Air in England. Instead of complaining, let the man explore his aerial prowess! His hold-up play is fine and also provides assists. Oli is not a flamboyant showoff, but gets the job done. I hope he scores a trophy-winning penalty against Man City one day or has he already done it in the 2014 Community Shield though it wasn't a penalty?
Someone once said that Oli cannot score against Big Clubs, but he has scored against Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Leicester, Swansea, West Ham and Tottenham. Maybe Chelsea is the only big one! Even a three game suspension for headbutting a QPR player last season did not affect his scoring. His consolation goal against Man Utd at the Emirates showed the progressive way Arsenal needed to try instead of the repeatedly failed walk-in goals some fans did not fancy. Davor Suker, Thomas Vermaelen and Lukas Podolski (who has the Most Powerful Leftfoot in Football and Best Goals to Games Ratio among Gunners) were progressive, and so is Alexis. I bet Jonathan Nkosa, Jean Rwamukaga (Kaahwa), Emmanuel Ogwal, Samuel Edgar Tinyiro, Allan Kiyinji, Onya Kokas, Sharpe Cole Nimusiima, Alice Mbayahi, Brens Willie Wambedde, Queen Elizabeth II, Olive Eyotaru, Jagmeet Singh, Andrew Sebastian, Yash Mishra and Ian Kateregga aka Pepe (Gooners) would agree: progressive soccer is thrilling like a fast two wheeler through a valley.
As a sub in the 2015 FA Cup final, he netted Arsenal's fourth against Aston Villa. Oli is strong and moves cleverly like an airfox in the box. His headed goals this season against Swansea away and Sunderland at home (cancelling out his unfortunate own goal) set him a class apart from other strikers. I'm glad one of the goals in his first competitive hattrick for Arsenal in the Champions League was a header (He actually scored his first Arsenal hattrick in a pre-season friendly).
As a Gooner, I appreciate his efforts. Two FA Cups and two Community Shields in his first three seasons is commendable, considering Arsenal's nine trophyless seasons since 2005.
Alexis brings 17 MegaWatt enthusiasm, Walcott adds blistering pace, Cazorla is ambidextrous, Bellerin is the Flash, Coquelin runs the midfield, Cech is worth over 15 guaranteed points per season, Koscielny is Boss, Wilshere oozes fearlessness, Elneny is superb, Wenger is "The Invincible One" but Oli takes care of Arsenal's airspace, roger that Mertesacker!
