When the No. 12 was raised aloft on the fourth official's board during Arsenal's 3-1 loss to Monaco on Wednesday, you feared for Olivier Giroud. His performance had drawn groans of frustration from an Emirates crowd that is famously unforgiving -- just ask Emmanuel Eboue, Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner, who were booed when coming off after disastrous displays.

Fortunately, the crowd were relatively sympathetic to Giroud. There was an initial outburst of relief when they saw he was to be withdrawn but that swiftly subsided into muted applause. Perhaps there was recognition that, unlike the traduced trio mentioned above, Giroud has generally been a valued contributor to the Arsenal cause.

Arsene Wenger must now be similarly understanding with his crestfallen centre-forward. This is not the time to punish Giroud with relegation to the substitutes' bench. He needs an arm round the shoulder, a place in the team and an immediate chance for redemption. Surely no one will be more determined to find the net against Everton this Sunday.

Giroud endured a living nightmare against Monaco. The scale of his ineptitude was almost impressive to behold. What made it all the more startling was that he has been in terrific form of late, notching eight goals in his previous 11 games.

What happened against Monaco will have hurt the France international. He bruises easily, physically and mentally. For a burly target man, he spends a lot of time clasping at knocks and signalling for medical attention. Similarly, it's not unusual to see him with his head in his hands after missing a chance. Giroud struggles to hide his sensitivity.

It's something the coaching staff are aware of. In a recent interview with L'Equipe, Giroud said: "When I put my head in my hands after missing a chance, that annoys the coaches a little. They want me to be more of a 'killer,' almost insensitive. Diego Costa doesn't show any emotion. I am more emotional. So I have learned to control my emotions."

It seems he spoke too soon. The psychological impact of his succession of misses was plain to see on Wednesday night. The effect was cumulative -- each skewed attempt got gradually worse until he produced his piece de resistance, firing a rebound over the bar when finishing seemed a mere formality.

Wenger is usually loath to withdraw Giroud, as he provides a focal point for the attack while offering defensive cover at set pieces. However, in this instance he was right to take him out of the firing line. His confidence was visibly spiralling, and by the time he was withdrawn even the most simple pass was going astray.

Nevertheless, he is still the best centre-forward at Arsenal's disposal. His principal rival for the role, Danny Welbeck, also fluffed his lines against Monaco with two conspicuous misses. Giroud remains integral to Arsenal's hopes of ending a difficult season on a high, and it's essential Wenger does all he can to restore the confidence of his fragile frontman. Come the summer, there may be cause to consider upgrading. Although Giroud is a more than competent Premier League performer, he is not of the world-class calibre of the centre-forwards on show at Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. With Arsenal now packing serious financial power, an elite striker may emerge as a priority.

In the short term, Giroud remains the best available option, and Wenger ought to keep faith with a player who has made significant strides forward this season. In August, Giroud laid down a marker when he came off the bench to score a vital headed equaliser at Goodison Park. This weekend, he'll be desperate to win the fans back with another crucial goal against the same opponents.

James McNicholas is one of ESPN FC's Arsenal bloggers. You can follow him on Twitter @gunnerblog.