adminSUNDERLAND. — Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Olivier Giroud will continue to answer his critics after the France forward ended his goal drought in style at Sunderland.Giroud climbed off the bench to score twice – his first English Premier League goals since May – as the Gunners won 4-1 away to the bottom-of-the-table Black Cats on Saturday. Victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 14 games.
It also kept them in a three-way tie at the top of the table with Manchester City and Liverpool as they strengthened their bid for a first Premier League title since 2004. The 30-year-old Giroud has been a largely peripheral figure so far this season, and he has still to start a league game. But he pressed his claims for more first-team action by scoring twice in the space of five minutes after his second-half introduction at the Stadium of Light.
“Mentally, Olivier is absolutely fantastic,” Wenger said. “He’s strong every time he’s questioned, he gives you the right answer on the pitch and I admire that in him. “He’s gone through some difficult questions, even before the European Championships in France he had been questioned by the crowd, and yet still afterwards everyone was on his side. — AFP.
Online Reporter