Arsenal followed up its friendly win over Sydney FC with another, topping Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 in their final match in its tour of Australia.
Most notably from the win is the deployment of both Alexandre Lacazette and Olivier Giroud together on the pitch for a significant amount of time. The system, with Giroud leading the attack and Lacazette behind him in a 3-4-2-1, still maintained Arsene Wenger’s love for a lone striker while still looking to get the most out of both French attackers.
The result? A first-half goal for Giroud, while Lacazette was somewhat silenced as the former Lyon striker was unable to find a consistent presence in the opposition box.
Giroud’s goal was a reminder of his finishing ability as he expertly shucked free from his defender and calmly redirected a cut-back from Nacho Monreal who had dribbled in along the end-line.
With the arrival of Lacazette, his fellow Frenchman has seemed an afterthought at the Emirates, but the deployment of them together could be an attempt by Wenger to get them both on the field without sacrificing his preferred attacking setup. Still, there is work to be done if that is Wenger’s goal, and while Lacazette likely remains the preferred option if one must be dropped, Giroud is doing his best to fight for his place, something he has promised to do on multiple occasions this summer.