Despite appearing to be struggling with an injury to his ankle, Olivier Giroud once against proved why Arsenal were right to extend his deal when the Gunners beat Swansea 4-0.

The striker’s goal against the Swans means he’s now scored 11 goals in his last nine starts and seven in the Premier League this season (10 overall). On top of this, he’s provided four Premiership assists, five in all competitions.

Giroud is now back to being a regular starter for Arsenal and everything is right with the world. The 30-year-old can’t seem to stop scoring and his overall contribution to the team is immense.

Against the Swansea, the France international didn’t just score with his one and only shot of the game, he won 5/8 aerial duels not just up front but while defending as well.

He was second only to Laurent Koscielny (6/9) and considering his compatriot is a centreback, Giroud’s efforts in the air are pretty impressive.

His height is a huge weapon, even if he does run as if he’s wading through treacle at times.

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In 500 Premier League minutes, Giroud has scored a goal every 71.4 minutes. That’s the equivalent of more than a goal every game. Add to this his three assists, and he’s directly contributed to the scoreline every 50 minutes.

To put that in context, Diego Costa is scoring a goal every 120 minutes (goal involvement every 88), Sergio Aguero 104 and 104.

With this in mind, I probably don’t need to tell you how crucial having Big Sexy in our side is.

Sure, we have Alexis Sanchez who is world class in every sense, but Giroud always manages to pull something out the bag, even when the chips are down. And you need those kind of players in your side just as much as the ones who throw a strop when they’re substituted off…

Elsewhere on the pitch, Giroud completed 18/26 passes, 5/9 of which were in the final third.

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Considering he’s a lone striker, his efforts to find passes and help others are admirable and just one of many reasons he’s a valuable member of the team.