Olivier Giroud continued his impressive goal-scoring form for France with a hat-trick during their 5-0 international friendly win over Paraguay on Friday evening.

It’s sure to give the 30-year-old a welcome morale boost after a frustrating end to the league campaign with Arsenal. Despite netting 16 goals and creating seven more across all competitions for the Gunners last season, Giroud has not played as regularly as he would’ve liked.

An unused substitute during the 3-1 win over Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, he only made a 12-minute cameo appearance off the substitutes’ bench during our 2-1 FA Cup Final victory against Chelsea and still managed to create the all-important assist for Aaron Ramsey’s close-range effort.

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Establishing a connection: Giroud’s close-range finish after Dembélé’s delivery from the flank means the 20-year-old has now created 22 assists across all competitions for club and country this season. (Picture source: Getty Images)

For France, Ousmane Dembélé and Lucas Digne’s deliveries into the towering forward were too inviting too decline, whilst he also headed home from Dimitri Payet’s cross before being substituted after 73 minutes.

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Giroud has now scored 25 goals in 61 national team appearances for France since his debut at 25-years-old in November 2011. With 16 goals in his last 16 starts, it’s an impressive record for someone that is so regularly criticised in the goals department.

Laurent Koscielny started and completed the full 90 minutes against their South American opposition, playing alongside Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti in a resolute centre-back pairing which also kept a clean sheet.