Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 8y

Arsenal should play with two up front to get best out of Olivier Giroud - Henry

Thierry Henry has urged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to copy France's tactics and play with two strikers in order to bring the best out of Olivier Giroud.

France's attack sparkled in the 5-2 win against Iceland at Euro 2016 after coach Didier Deschamps played Antoine Griezmann up front with Giroud instead of using Giroud as a lone striker.

Giroud scored twice and set up a goal for Griezmann and Henry, the all-time leading scorer for both Arsenal and France, said Wenger should take note.

"He is a very good player, but he needs to play with someone," Henry told Sky Sports News.

"Giroud, with his back to goal, is very good. He can't turn and outpace anyone, but in Griezmann he has a guy he can feed. It's a great partnership. They share the workload of scoring goals."

Griezmann is the tournament's leading scorer with four goals as France prepare for Thursday's semifinal against Germany, with Giroud having netted three.

Giroud finished last season as Arsenal's leading scorer last season with 24 goals in all competition, but endured a 15-game scoreless streak in the Premier League as the Gunners' title challenge crumbled.

But Henry said all he needed was the right striker to play alongside him.

"Everyone has always said that Arsenal need another striker, but that doesn't mean Giroud has to drop to the bench," he added.

"He should play with someone because he has all the attributes. I've said before, I would have loved to have played with him.

"I do not understand why people are scared to play with two strikers. Look at all the teams that have been successful at this tournament -- France, Italy have been successful playing a 3-5-2. I think the game is going back to two strikers."

And while Wenger's search for a new forward continues after he was turned down by Leicester's Jamie Vardy earlier in the summer, Henry said he felt Arsenal had a ready-made solution in Alexis Sanchez, who has been used on the wing.

"Sometimes I watch Arsenal and think it would be great to see Sanchez behind Olivier," he said. "Giroud is the perfect striker to play with a guy that runs in behind."

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