Wenger will not let go of his Plan B in January

Olivier Giroud’s value to Arsenal may not always be apparent when judged by his infrequent starting appearances but Arsene Wenger insists there is no possibility the forward will leave the club next month after the France international restated his worth with a late equaliser that salvaged a point at Southampton.

Giroud has yet to start a Premier League game this season and his 72nd-minute appearance at St Mary’s Stadium marked the 13th time he has been introduced off the bench by Wenger this term.

The player’s response was everything the manager hoped it would be with the forward’s physical presence proving the difference as Arsenal finally found a way to convert possession into something more tangible when Giroud rose to head home Alexis Sanchez’s 88th-minute cross to cancel out Charlie Austin’s third-minute opening goal.