Arsenal fans were quick to condemn Olivier Giroud for his blunt attacking threat as the Gunners slipped to a 2-0 home defeat in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie with Barcelona.
The closest the French striker came to a goal was a powerful header that forced a marvellous stop from Barca keeper ter Stegen.
Supporters of the north London side have voiced concern at firing several blanks in the Premier League since the turn of the year, and their players' inability to take gilt-edged chances against the reigning European champions brought that tension to the fore once again.
One glaring opening went begging as Giroud, well placed on the right corner of the box, inexplicably ignored the two overlapping teammates on his left and passed to... nobody, to his right. The ball trickled out for a goal-kick.
Criticism of Giroud is hardly new and, frustrated though Arsenal's faithful may be, the stats tend to corroborate the former Montpellier striker's claim to being a world-class striker.
Indeed, there were supporters still vocal in their defence of the player, while others shared their perhaps-optimistic forecasts for the second leg away in Catalonia.
Other players shared in the fans' ire, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scuppering several efforts in the first half and Mathieu Flamini making an unfortunately impactful late cameo appearance from the substitutes' bench.
Flamini conceded a penalty before ever touching the ball in his ill-fated late showing.
He got away with a needless two-footed lunge against Bournemouth in the Premier League a few weeks back when Arsenal were otherwise in control, and his tackling has now cost the Gunners on the biggest European stage.
- Telegraph