OLIVIER GIROUD'S fine start to the season has brought comparisons to former Arsenal great Alan Smith. Apart from sharing a similar playing style - tall, good in the air, great with their back to goal - both also had very similar starts to their Arsenal careers.
Despite scoring a hat-trick against Portsmouth early in 1987-88, Smith failed to convince for much of his first season at Highbury. He could look cumbersome and awkward at times and many fans were left wondering if he really was much better than the much-maligned Niall Quinn, the striker he had been bought to replace.
In fact by Christmas 1987, Smith had been dropped to the bench in favour of the hapless Quinn. Yes, that was how badly he had been playing. However, a goal from bench at Portsmouth on New Year's Day 1988 signalled a change in fortune for Smith and by the end of the season, the former Leicester man had began to show exactly what he could do.
In the end, Smith finished his first campaign at Arsenal with 16 goals in all competitions, including one at Wembley in the Littlewoods Cup final defeat to Luton Town. But as the club chased a big-name striker throughout the summer of 1988, it appeared Smith's days could be numbered.
Giroud's first season at Arsenal proved to be very similar. He also took a while to settle and many fans were wondering if he was good enough. He could look cumbersome and awkward and found himself in and out of the side. But like Smith, it was an appearance from the bench around Christmas time that proved to be the turning point.
Giroud's two goals in the 7-3 win over Newcastle last December began a great run of form for the Frenchman and he ended his first season at the club with 17 goals in all competitions. Like Smith before him, however, many fans were left wondering if he really was the man to lead Arsenal to glory.
Arsenal spent the summer of 1988 chasing a striker and were close to splashing out a club record fee on West Ham's Tony Cottee. However, when the deal fell through and Cottee moved to Everton instead, Smith was thrown into the side for the league opener at Wimbledon.
Arsenal won 5-1 that day and Smith claimed a hat-trick. He would never look back. In fact he would score in each of the opening eight league matches as Arsenal went to the top of the table. Suddenly he had become the fulcrum of the attack and he would finish the season as the Golden Boot winner as Arsenal won their first league title in 18 years.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2013. Arsenal was again chasing a big name striker. Names like Higuain, Rooney and Suarez were all linked to the club but when they fell through, it was Giroud who began the season as Arsenal's centre forward.
And here we are four games into the campaign with the Frenchman having scored in each. He has become the fulcrum of the attack and it is now hard to imagine an Arsenal side without him in it. Of course it is still early days but I certainly would not bet against Giroud scoring the goals that lead to Arsenal ending another long title drought.
It has been said that a team are only good as its centre forward and back in 1988-89 that was certainly true for George Graham's Arsenal side - Smith scoring 23 times as they lifted the title. This season, will it be the goals of Giroud that will fire the Gunners to similar glory?
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