Arsene Wenger: Don't blame misfiring Olivier Giroud for Arsenal’s Monaco woes

ARSENE WENGER has refused to single out Olivier Giroud in the wake of Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Monaco.

Arsene WengerPA

Arsene Wenger is refusing to blame Olivier Giroud

The Gunners will head to France in the return leg needing to overturn a 3-1 deficit after Wenger’s former side ran riot at the Emirates.

Giroud was guilty of missing a number of chances for the north London outfit, leading some to question whether he is capable of putting in enough consistent performances for a side looking to challenge for the Premier League title.

And speaking ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Everton on Sunday (2.05pm), Wenger absolved the France international of any blame, adding that the team collectively failed to turn up on the night.

Football: Arsenal stunned by Monaco in Champions League

Giroud is like everyone else, he’s disappointed. There’s nobody to blame individually

Arsene Wenger

He explained: “Giroud is like everyone else, he’s disappointed. There’s nobody to blame individually.

“He had his chances and he missed them, but on the night everything went against us. The fact he missed some chances is only one characteristic of the night.

“I hope (criticism doesn’t affect him). He’s a strong character, and I personally don’t blame him. We lost as a team and he didn’t miss the chances on purpose. It can happen.”

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