After coming off the bench and scoring the winning goal in Friday’s Premier League opener against Leicester, Arsene Wenger admitted his delight that Olivier Giroud opted to stay.

There had been a lot of speculation about the Arsenal striker this summer, with West Ham Unted, Everton and French Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille reportedly paying an interest. But Giroud committed to Arsenal and his manager couldn’t be happier.

“It’s fantastic (Giroud is fighting for his place). I must say I opened the door for him at some stage because I know that it’s important for him to play, but I don’t want him to go and in the end he decided to stay,” said Wenger, reports Arsenal.com.

“It was one of the days of recent weeks for me because I know how important he is, not only as a player, he is a fantastic player, but as well in the group. He has a big weight in the squad and it was a relief for me that he decided to stay.”

And when asked if Giroud could leave this summer, Wenger quickly replied: “No. It’s a determined no.” And when asked if this is Arsenal’s best attack since they won the title in 2004, the manager responded: “It’s a long time since since we’ve had so much quality because Giroud is in his prime, he is at the top of his game. We have top quality.”

After spending last season as a second choice behind Alexis Sanchez, there was a fear Giroud could seek greener pastures elsewhere. He admitted himself that his future was previously uncertain following the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette this summer.

But his performance against Leicester City proves he has a role in the team that’s highly effective and that he’s still committed for the Gunners. The 30-year-old scored and created an impressive 15 goals in 11 Premier League starts. He made 18 further appearances in the top-flight from the bench.

And while keen for his outstanding goalscoring record in the last 12 month to earn him a few more starts in the first-team, Wenger looks more likely to keep him as an impact player, I think.