This window was a bit awkward one for Chelsea. They might not have lost any players, but the players that they signed aren’t entirely world class. They began the window with the acquisition of Ross Barkley from Everton.
After that, they signed Emerson Palmieri from Roma, who was a disposable figure in the Italian club, and then they finally concluded the window with the acquisition of Olivier Giroud. Chelsea were linked with a host of strikers before that, but they had to settle down with the former Arsenal man.
However, despite the fact that the Frenchman is a target-man that links up play with his excellent one-touch play, he is not an upgrade to Diego Costa—and here are 3 reasons why
#1 He doesn’t have the scoring ability
This is one of the first things that you will realise. The stark contrast between the duo’s respective skills to find the net is apparent for all to see. The stats help us understand the clear picture.
In 180 games in the Premier League, Olivier Giroud has scored 73 goals. While this might seem like a decent return, it is not really much when compared to Diego Costa. The Brazil-born Spaniard played in 89 Premier League games and scored 52 goals
The Spaniard has an uncanny ability to find the net by being at the right place at the right time, something that the former Montpellier player doesn’t boast. There was also something else that made Costa such a menace inside a box.
#2 Aggression
One of the things that people dislike the most about Diego Costa is his aggressive nature. However, the truth is that it makes him a very difficult opponent to handle. The way he uses his physicality to oppress the defenders is something that has always impressed the managers he has played for.
Costa loves to play with the minds of his opponents and does everything in his hands to make sure that he gives them a tough time. He will nudge the defenders, tackle them, play the victim and do all the things that put the defenders in a fit of rage, making them susceptible to mistakes.
#3 Suited Chelsea’s system
The system that Chelsea play is entirely different to the one implanted at Arsenal. While the emphasis with the Gunners is to keep the ball, the Blues are more leaned towards a counter-attacking brand of football.
In such a system, it is imperative for the striker to have speed while on the counter—something that Giroud doesn’t have much of. While there is no doubt that the Frenchman has a tremendous passing sense, he is just not as quick as Diego Costa is.
The former Gunner has been bought by Chelsea to be a backup to the misfiring Alvaro Morata—and he is just that; a backup. The fact that even Alvaro Morata hasn’t been able to live up to the billing of the Brazilian just goes to show the ability of the Atletico Madrid striker.
And Giroud isn’t near that.
