[Watch Olivier Giroud’s goals again at the end of this post]

Arsene Wenger hailed Olivier Giroud as having an ‘absolutely fantastic’ mentality after the Frenchman scored two goals with his first two touches against Sunderland.

Finding the back of the net for the first time this season, it was fair for the manager to praise his forward, however his comments seem aimed more at the player than his fans.

Giroud has admitted in the past that he struggles mentally at times and there have been rumours that he wasn’t actually injured over the past few weeks, rather his head ‘wasn’t right’.

Whatever the real problem was, it seems behind him now as he looked strong and focused, helping Arsenal put the game against Sunderland to bed before it got any more messy than it already had.

“Olivier is a guy who is mentally absolutely fantastic,” Wenger said after the game.

“He’s strong and every time he’s questioned, he gives you the right answer on the pitch. I admire that in him.

“He’s a guy who has gone through some different questions. Even before the European Championship in France, he was questioned by the crowd and in the end everybody was on his side.”

Common sense would say that Giroud will start against Ludogorets, allowing Alexis to rest his bruised and battered legs after some close ‘attention’ from Sunderland players.

Common sense, however, plays no role in the life of Alexis Sanchez and he will most likely be the first one out onto the pitch in Bulgaria.

Olivier Giroud scores v Sunderland – first touch, first goal

Olivier Giroud scores v Sunderland – second touch, second goal