Olivier Giroud

Reason to watch: Can he end Arsenal's struggles in breaking down stubborn defences?

Arsenal play wonderful football, but they sometimes struggle to break down compact defensive lines.

We've seen it before—eight Arsenal players lingering outside the opposition penalty area, looking for the perfect through-ball to unlock a defence.

With Olivier Giroud on the roster, though, this may no longer be an issue. He's adept at immersing himself into a defensive line and dragging his team forward three or four yards.

Those yards can be crucial, and his high assist count last season for Montpellier (nine) was a result of him playing clever one-twos for his midfielders and bringing them into goalscoring positions.